Mind Games
by Arlia'Devi
Summary: 'Because isn't all courting a series of mind games' InuYasha and Kagome have been dancing around their feelings for months. "I don't play games,' snarled InuYasha. But it was evident to both of them, that he did. And that he enjoyed them too.
1. Part One: Water

**Mind Games**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I don't own any parts of InuYasha: all rights go to Rumiko Takahashi and associates. I make no profit from this whatsoever.

**M**: Mature content.

Enjoy, my friends!

~ Mind Games ~

**Part One: Water**

_Because isn't all courting just a series of mind games?_

**IT WAS A HOT DAY IN FEUDAL JAPAN**; A stinking hot day, in fact. So hot that yesterday Shippou had received a red-raw back when he'd taken off his robe to bathe in the cool river. He was now in Kaede's hut, moaning and complaining of the heat and his killer sunburn while the old priestess rubbed aloe-vera into his sensitive skin. InuYasha snorted at the fox demon's misfortune and told him to 'quit whining', 'cause it was his fault he'd received such a horrendous sunburn.

Outside in the sun, Kagome sat underneath the sacred tree, scribbling words into her notepad. The back of her light floral dress clung to her skin in sweat, her pores were hot and sticky and her hair had turned unruly from the humidity. So unruly in fact, that even in a ponytail, wayward strands stuck to the back of her neck and face. In her notepad were small doodles, a few lines from a song she couldn't get out of her head and a sketch of Miroku laying beside her.

InuYasha was above, in the tree. He seemed to like the way the cool breeze caught his robe; even if he wasn't wearing most of it.

True, half of his robe lay under Kagome's rear end: padding for the hard ground around the tree. He had stripped off the top half of his Hanoi and rolled the bottoms of his pants up, all in an effort to keep a certain amount of coolness. Miroku, however, battled the heat by sleeping through it. Careful not to get sunstroke, he nestled in to a shady portion of the tree trunk, where the shadow would not be removed for some hours by the sun's rotation. He promptly fell asleep in the cool shade, after wetting the ground damp from the river running through the town. He had been for asleep for at least two hours already.

Sango, and this was where Kagome was thinking of joining, was wallowing a part of the river which meandered near the Sacred Tree, perhaps only fifty metres from where Kagome sat. She was with Kirara, who, although the large cat hated water, was frolicking and allowing Sango to splash her, before rolling in the shallows. The water looked cool; and Kagome wanted to join, but she hadn't packed any swimmers and the bra she was wearing would be see-through. Plus there was that whole stigma with the bra and the bikini top: obviously not that different in design, but wholly different when seen in public.

The well was only a short walk away…

"I'll be back in a moment," said Kagome, climbing down from her crook in the tree.

InuYasha craned his head down. "Well, where ya going?"

"Back to my time for a while; I need to grab some things; it's going to be hot for a long time and I want to go swimming." She hauled her yellow backpack across her shoulders.

"Well," muttered InuYasha as he swung down to a lower branch. "Can I come?"

Travelling through time didn't always appeal to InuYasha, especially when the well only just opened up again. If the boy wanted to come, she supposed he would let him.

"Alright then," she sighed. "Just don't lag behind."

"Me," he drawled and skipped slightly to catch up with her. "Lag behind? Please!"

It had been three months since Kagome had reappeared in the feudal era after her agonisingly long three-year wait. She had not have known if InuYasha had moved on to another woman; if he had been killed, if he had run away, or anything. All the while, Kagome sat waiting in the modern era for the day she'd be able to cross over and at least find out. Dating had always been awkward; after leaving the feudal era, she finally agreed to date Hojo. One date and she called it quits; she couldn't bear to strain her heart, not when it chased InuYasha so devotedly.

Since her return, and subsequent reunite with InuYasha, Sango, Miroku and Shippou, things had been smooth. She visited on the weekends, almost every weekend and even some lazy afternoons or days she finished work early. In the modern world she had a job in fashion, worked often a nine-to-five day, but it was nice to come back and see them all: play and hang out, like old times.

The only thing that wasn't like old times, however, was the way InuYasha had been acting: all sensitive and calm, to her at least. It seemed to the rest of the group he was the same egotistical, snappy InuYasha. Sango argued it was because he'd recently settled down and was around the time in his life where he should be looking for a mate.

"A mate?" Kagome choked.

"He likes you; it's evident," replied Sango. "You like him, still?"

"Yes, I do, but… a mate?" stuttered Kagome. A mate – she never thought InuYasha would express desires to have a mate so openly. What was she saying? Of course she wanted to be with InuYasha; but it was practically like bypassing the courting and going straight into marriage.

"He's definitely thinking about it; demons rarely ever build houses, they sleep in dens or caves or the like," Sango picked up on the worried spike in Kagome's voice. "Kagome, you don't understand! It's not like he'll just ask you, he'll try to court you: a dog demon like him has an instinct to impress a woman he finds suitable; it's not like he'll just go in for the kill. Oh, wrong words, sorry..."

Ever since, InuYasha had been considerably kinder; offering to help Kagome carry heavy loads and giving her more soft reed to sleep on than he. Often he would offer her the last rice ball at lunch, pushing it towards her and pretending he was full: which both of them knew was far from the truth. Other things, like now, accompanying her on walks, were behavioural for InuYasha, even though he barely said a word.

"What do you need to get?" he asked casually as a cool breeze played with his long silver hair when they entered the clearing.

"I was thinking of getting some summer food."

Food. InuYasha smirked.

"…And I need to grab some clothes so I can go swimming."

"Why don't you just go swimming in that?" InuYasha pointed to her flowery dress.

"It's new," explained Kagome. "I don't want to ruin it by getting in the water."

"Do you think Miroku and Sango like each other?" he spoke when silence flooded through them. The well was only around twenty metres away.

"Of course they do."

"Well, I don't see Miroku doing anythin' for her. She always has to do it herself," scowled InuYasha, as if he was appalled at Miroku's effort in dating Sango.

"Women like Sango don't like men helping them out much; they don't like to feel weak. I'm sure they have their moments; they're very private."

"Do I make you feel weak Kagome?" asked InuYasha as he hitched a leg over the well. "All the stuff I help you with?"

"Of course not!" she laughed. "I let you help because I can't do it."

"Oh...," he said, and the blue mist signifying their transcending into the future enveloped them. On the other side, Mrs. Higurashi was attending the gardens by the temple. She welcomed the two warmly.

"Oh InuYasha, we haven't seen you around in such a long time!"

"Yeah," he replied, remembering his last quarrel with Kagome's grandfather had sent him reeling with anger. He had stormed out of dinner, into the temple, back into the well and had not been seen since. That was one month ago. "Well, I decided I needed to cool off after the argument with that old coot."

"You two are so strong-headed," laughed Mrs. Higurashi. "Good thing Kagome's here to break it up, otherwise I think you'd still be going at it. Are you staying for long Kagome?"

"I'm just grabbing some stuff, Mum," replied Kagome as she slid open the door to her home. "I'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Alright dear!" sometimes InuYasha wondered how Kagome had such a trusting mother; letting her gallivant all over feudal Japan: perhaps she didn't understand how dangerous it _really_ was.

Kagome jogged up the steps to her room, but InuYasha hung around the living room with Souta, who was fanning himself, although he was also being fanned by a long brick which shot out cool air.

"What's this?" InuYasha pointed to the suspended brick.

"That's an air conditioner. It's so hot; sit here," Souta pointed to the spot beside him. "You get the best air sitting here."

InuYasha sat in the allocated spot, and instantly felt such relieve. It was like he was transported back to the cold snowy mountainous winds of winter in Japan. It was pure ecstasy against his the slick skin of his back. Kagome came back all too quickly however, and InuYasha wasn't particularly ready to leave.

"Is it cool if I take some ice and cans of drink with me Souta?" Kagome asked, searching her mother's always well stocked fridge.

"Yeah sure, just not the last Fanta: that's mine!"

Kagome gathered drinks and snacks into a smaller bag she was carrying before approaching InuYasha again.

"Come on," she said and tugged against his arm. "Let's go. I have a surprise."

"It's much cooler here," replied InuYasha and snatched his arm away. "I'm going to stay here."

"Suit yourself," replied Kagome with a huff. "But you're not going to get any food."

"Fine!" he growled and followed Kagome out. "I don't care; next time it gets too hot I'm breakin' into your house."

"Grandpa has improved his seals; I doubt you'd get in," laughed Kagome as she hitched her leg over the side of the well. Suddenly, InuYasha, who had only just walked through the temple doors, was beside her. The side of his finger ran down Kagome's cheek.

"Well," he hummed and flicked his eyes up to gaze into hers. "I'm sure… if I really wanted to get in, I would."

It was stuff like that which confused her! She dived into the well hiding an insane blush and not really knowing to do about the entire situation. If he liked her, why did he flit around the situation? She loathed having to be the 'man' in the situation; if she confronted him now he'd ardently deny it, even though Miroku, Sango and Shippou all knew he'd be lying. She'd have to wait until they were alone. Maybe then he'd make the first move…

Shippou had joined Miroku in the shady spot underneath the tree and the monk was talking to him in a daze-like manner, as if he'd only awakened moment's ago. Kagome took the blue pair of bikinis and moved into the foliage to change, telling both InuYasha and the amorous monk that if she felt any sort of wandering eye, they wouldn't be getting the treats she'd gotten them.

InuYasha, who obviously couldn't help himself, had sniffed through her schoolbag even before she'd returned. Kagome frowned and snatched it from his searching claws before calling over Sango and Shippou.

"Oh boy Kagome," cried Shippou as he sat down on the picnic rug. "What did you get us?"

"They're specialities in my time," Kagome rummaged through the backpack and revealed a box of ice creams. "They're nice on hot days like this." She grabbed an orange flavoured ice cream and began to eat it, and then suddenly half of the ice creams were gone and InuYasha was fighting with Shippou over which one should have the last of the strawberry flavour.

"These are great, Kagome," commented Miroku who was devouring his pleasantly by the side of the tree. InuYasha had since stolen the last strawberry iceblock and had jumped far up into the tree. Shippou had taken pursuit, but it was evident that he'd never catch InuYasha, who was softly lapping at the frozen beverage while lounging in the tree.

When all of the ice creams had been eaten, Kagome stripped off her sun dress and waded towards the cooling river. She was glad the tree was a far way from the village; people in such an era found showing such an amount of skin appalling. But now, she was just among friends: Sango joined her, but was not as revealing in her attire: her skirt and shirt hitched up and tied back.

Shippou, upon seeing the women playing in the river, bounded over to join.

"Where do you think you're going?" snarled InuYasha.

"To play in the water with Kagome," replied Shippou, and then gave InuYasha a sultry look. "Why? Do you want to come to?"

'Curse the brat!' snarled InuYasha. "No," he spat. Then he sunk back into the tree trunk. "Fine, just go. But don't come cryin' to me when some water demon has you by the legs."

Shippou thought about this for a moment, but then shrugged. "I'm sure the water demon would _much_ rather Kagome than it would me."

"Why you!" InuYasha lunged for Shippou but the tyke evaded his grasp and ran down the tree trunk to play with Kagome and Sango in the river.

"InuYasha!" called Kagome from below. He craned his neck down; damn! She was wearing nothing! Two flimsy pieces of triangles… and some short-ass pants. Who the hell did she think she was walking around in that, when any villager could come and see? Sometimes he didn't understand modesty in modern era conventions.

"What?" he spat, adverting his gaze.

"Come and play with us! It'll cool you off!"

"I'm cool enough," he lied. "I don't want to swim!"

Kagome shrugged and InuYasha watched as she turned to Sango and did a little dance. Geez, the years had complimented her. Kagome was beautiful; she had filed out form once a gangly teenager to an obviously curvaceous woman. He should have been praising the bikini: it showed him aspects of the woman he'd never seen before.

She'd come back to the feudal era three months ago, when InuYasha had convinced himself out of love with her. But then she'd come back; he smelt her scent and dismissed it as nostalgia: something he wanted but could never have. And then she was back, drinking tea in Kaede's hut and he fell for her again, harder and faster than before. As soon as those shimmering chocolate eyes laid on him, and her perky mouth turned up into a smile, InuYasha had ruined three years hard work trying to forget her.

Sometimes he convinced himself that she liked him too; well, she had kissed him, once. That was over three years ago. Feelings changed, but she hadn't. His demon instincts told him he needed to impress her to win her over: with his strength and courtesy and overall respect he had for her. But his human side told him he needed to do a lot more. She was not a fellow demon, and so could not court her in such a way. However, nor would he dismiss his demonic heritage and court her how a human would court another human. No, he would do it his way.

"InuYasha," Miroku's voice floated up to him. "Are you thinking about Kagome?"

"No!" he replied.

"Quickly off the mark," noted the monk with smugness. "Why don't you go and play with her."

"I don't _play__games_." He crossed his arms across his chest. "Whatever, why aren't you with Sango, anyway?"

"Games are fun to play," replied Miroku. "They're even more fun in the end as well… Sango and I, you really want to know?"

"Humour me, monk." InuYasha spat at the monk's love life.

"Last night we stayed in Kaede's hut. I had her up against the wall…"

"Oh!" he cried. "_Please_, spare me the details!"

"I swear," laughed Miroku, who was obviously enjoying irking his demon friend. "We would have either woken Kaede or destroyed her hut! And poor Kagome was sleeping right next to us…"

"That's it monk!" InuYasha fell down from the tree. "Don't you have any decency whatsoever?"

"Oh InuYasha, I'm joking!" he held his sides as he chuckled. "Nothing of that sort happened!" The look on the demon's face only gave fodder to more chuckles from Miroku, some of which he couldn't stop bursting through the hand clasped over his mouth. Eventually he just laughed in a heap at the bottom of the Sacred Tree, leaving the girls and Shippou wondering what could have been so funny.

InuYasha stalked off toward the village.

"Miroku!" called Kagome as InuYasha gathered the rest of his Hanoi and put it on. "What did you say to him?"

"I'm goin' back into the village," muttered InuYasha as he passed Shippou and the girls. He jumped the rest of the way and disappeared into the foliage.

"Oh," Miroku said as he stumbled over to the marshes. "I played a cruel joke on him, that's all. He got angry so he got up and left."

"You shouldn't play jokes on InuYasha," advised Shippou. "He takes everything to heart."

Miroku shrugged and rolled up the ends of his robe to bathe his feet in the cool water. Kirara came to greet him, purring softly and nudging the palm of his hand in an effort for him to pat her.

"Maybe I should go and talk to him," hummed Kagome nervously. "It looked like you pissed him off pretty badly…"

Miroku shrugged and began to scratch Kirara's stomach.

Kagome pursued InuYasha into the village after she'd dressed decently, and was told by some of the village children that they heard him working up on the hill on his house.

InuYasha had been working on his house for all the time she'd been back in the feudal era and it seemed a few months before that. A demon building a house was a rare sight, as Sango said; demons were usually nomadic creatures or preferred to live in the elements. Kouga was an example: living in the wolf den, Totosai, living in the skeleton of another demon, Kagome supposed was a home of such. Kagome had never seen InuYasha's home, and only knew that it was being built high up in the hills. The children directed her which path they'd seen InuYasha take, for some of them snuck up and watched him work, and then went back to playing.

"InuYasha?" called Kagome as she rounded a sharp corner blinded by a large flowery bush. The bush bloomed in the most divine crimson flowers, with velvety petals and decadent scent. The sound of wood being bashed with a mallet halted Kagome's appreciation. "InuYasha, are you up here?"

"Oh Kagome!" InuYasha sounded astounded. "H-How did you find me?"

"The village children told me you'd probably be up here; they come up and watch you sometimes."

"I know," he snarled and appeared from behind the…

This wasn't a hut! This was a miniature mansion! Or surely it would have to be some sort of resort!

"I always kick the brats out, gettin' into my business."

"Oh, InuYasha!" swooned Kagome as she stepped to examine the house. "This place is beautiful!"

The home was grand, even with only half of it built. It was built facing out a grand view of the surrounding area: across the treetops of the forest, into the village below and the villages down the road. In fact, Kagome swore she could see to the volcano Totosai lived in. In front of the house was a grand garden of sorts, filled with those red blooming plants and cherry trees in leaf. Besides the garden was a small pond, glittering blue and reflecting the red flowers which draped beside it. The house had a small patio inlet and a door, situated between to predominated rooms, of the front was entirely made of translucent rice paper to allow the morning sun.

The house was only half done; in many places walls were missing and the floor looked like a deadly checkerboard where the blacks were gaping pot holes, but it was a grand design.

"Huh…" muttered InuYasha. "You shouldn't have followed me, Kagome. This is private."

"It looked like Miroku really pissed you off…"

"Yeah," spat InuYasha and picked up a board of a rich chocolate-coloured wood. "He should know where he stands."

"I can't believe it's gotten hotter!" cried Kagome as she fished out her thermometer.

"Maybe you should have stayed down by the river then," replied InuYasha and went back to working on his house.

Kagome spied the small pool. "Can I sit in your pond for a while, InuYasha?"

"My pond?" he craned his neck around. Kagome pointed to the pond draped in the red flowers. "Oh… sure, whatever."

Kagome pulled her dress up over her head and InuYasha couldn't help but flush; as if she was stripping naked, and then the image formed in his head. Kagome fondled with the red flowers he grew while she bathed, sighing as the water enveloped her shoulders.

"It's nice and private up here," sighed Kagome and InuYasha offered a tight smile as he rounded to work on the patio. "You look hot." It was evident she would have to be the bigger 'man'; they were completely alone and he wouldn't even say a word to her. "Did you want to join me, InuYasha."

He tensed when she said his name. She said his name beautifully. He would have liked to have heard it… no. "Join you?" he gritted and forced the mental image of Kagome in some rather compromising positions out of his head. He lifted the large piece of wood over his head.

_He'll try to impress you…_

"Come on, InuYasha," she smiled slyly and then added, "no one is around… no one will see."

That seemed to convince him a little more as he dropped the piece of wood with a thud, the degree of the thud evident to how heavy the piece of wood was. Did she like him? Evidently, it seemed that she did. She was trying to convince him to join her in the water where she was barely clothed.

He pulled off the top of his Hanoi and discarded it in the bushes beside. Kagome smiled sweetly and watched as he pulled off his pants, leaving only a pair of white undergarments he'd donned when once, he'd received a substantial abrasion to the upper thigh and Kaede had to attend. There was little to be modest about as Kaede treated InuYasha, and she chuckled at how uncomfortable he was, with, as he put it "all his junk out in the open for any villager to come in and look at". No, not again.

"Better?" asked Kagome when InuYasha slipped into the cool pond. "Don't you wish you played with us in the river now?"

"I don't play games," replied InuYasha.

"Oh I think you do," replied Kagome and flicked her eyes up. "You like to play games with me; don't think I don't notice them."

"Oh," a red flush crept across his face and neck. "Well, they're different."

"Grown up games," agreed Kagome.

"Exactly. Not for brats like Shippou to play." Suddenly, an idea sparked into his mind. They were completely alone, barely dressed and in a close proximity to each other. "… Do you want to play a game now?"

"Well," sighed Kagome and pushed back her hair. "What sort of game, and I thought you didn't play games.'

"A grown ups game: three lies. If I choose the lie which is the truth, then I win and get a prize of my decree. If I lose, then I don't get any prize."

"What's the prize?" queried Kagome.

"You'll see."

"Alright," Kagome thought of her two lies and a truth. They would have to be rather hard; she didn't want to have to give him his illusive prize without working for it. She knew what the prize would be though; probably a peek down her top or a removal of it completely. "I've got them. Lie one… I passed my geometry class with flying colours."

InuYasha nodded; he didn't know what geometry was, but he was sure that when he heard the truth-lie, he'd know it.

"Lie two, I have been asked to model for the Chanel fall collection."

"And lie three… I once convinced your brother not to kill you."

"The third," he replied quickly. "Without a doubt. That was too easy, Kagome."

Drat! It had been; she had never been any good at games. "Alright," Kagome cringed. "What's your prize?"

He smirked. "Can I have a kiss?"

Kagome was almost shocked in the decency in which he asked. It hadn't been 'take off ya top' or anything caddish or rude of the sort. In fact, Kagome was astounded, it had been rather charming and the question still left her with an answer to give him.

"Um… sure?"

He smiled and leant across the small pond. Kagome mirrored his movements to meet him in the middle. Quickly his lips overlapped hers, lingered for a moment and then he reclined, smiling smugly.

Her lips tingled, and her eyes darted back up to him for a second. InuYasha was watching her, rather impressed with winning and his tantalising prize. Kagome was forced to compose herself, fidgeting with a red flower that draped into the pool while her lips tingled and her heart raced. When she looked back up to InuYasha, he had disappeared. Suddenly, a pair of soft hot lips pressed against her cheek.

"I'm sick of playing games with you, Kagome," he muttered and pressed his lips against the side of her mouth. Soon enough, he thought, he would get a response if she liked him or not; he couldn't stand any more of this lollygagging – if he was going to court her, he would. He wasn't gonna wait around just to find out she didn't like him.

But her reaction was most pleasing; Kagome's body swivelled and she pressed her lips firmly against his. They worked against each other, nipping and suckling, InuYasha grazed his tongue against the bottom of her lip and Kagome gave him entrance.

He began to feverishly kiss her, a hand steading her head and fingers delving into her raven locks. In response, Kagome's hands sought out InuYasha's body, running over his shoulders and neck, earning a low growl in response.

Their tongues rubbed against each other, exploring and tasting excitedly, InuYasha devouring everything she offered him. He pressed her against the rocky side of the pond steadying him with a hand, and inadvertently cornering her. Kagome, in response, grasped handfuls of InuYasha's hair and pulled herself to him, teasing him softly with her tongue and nipping at his bottom lip.

When his lips broke off hers to trail down her throat, Kagome muttered. "I'm sick of playing games as well…"

"I'm so fucking sick of playing games," he snarled and caught her lips again. "You've been driving me wild these past few months."

All the games they'd played: playing hard to get, the sneaky eye fluttering and the over exposure of skin. Everything they'd been doing was just to try to get the other to notice; perhaps InuYasha had been blind to her obvious messages. He'd been so centred on wooing her the demonic way: exerting and proving to her that he was a capable lover, that he'd forgotten and neglected the human way, confirming attraction physically; she couldn't smell the hormones that spiked the air when he was around her. How was she supposed to return his attractions? Modern women, Kagome had said once, often took wooing into their own hands, and often asked the men to marry them instead of the other way around.

When he sucked the crook of her neck softly, Kagome moaned into his ear and sunk further into the pool. Her legs were shaking and her heart was beating furiously; and InuYasha trailed kissed back up the side of her neck before catching her earlobe in his hot mouth. Turning her head, their mouths met again and Kagome forced her way into his mouth, meeting his tongue expectantly before they began to dance. It was no competition to the brief kiss she'd shared with Hojo, InuYasha was a fantastic kisser.

His hands began to sit around her hips, rubbing softly at the skin of her lower back and stomach. Teeth caught InuYasha's lips and bit down harder, earning a deep rumble of appreciation from deep within his throat. He was a dog demon, rationalised Kagome, it was instinct to like a bit of teeth.

"We should stop," gasped Kagome when it was evident that the only reason he stopped kissing down her chest was because the water began. InuYasha growled in response and, with one last kiss on the lips, lengthy, long and fully savoured, sunk to nuzzle Kagome's shoulder. He sighed.

For a while, they merely sat in the pool, for so long that Kagome's fingers became wrinkled and the temperature had dropped quite considerably. She was about to say something when InuYasha spoke up.

"I can protect you, Kagome," muttered InuYasha.

"I know you can," she replied softly and ran a finger down his cheek.

"I promise to be good to you." He looked up to her, topaz eyes glittering in the setting sun. "Can you see only me for a while?"

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, InuYasha?"

"I 'spose," he grunted in reply. "So, what's your answer?"

Kagome shrugged. "I 'spose," she echoed.

"No coddling me in front of the others," he muttered and kissed a short trail to Kagome's shoulder. "I draw the line. And no talking rubbish to me, like I'm a baby. I've seen you do that when you and Sango look at guys from other villages."

Kagome blushed; sometimes they went a bit far, but they were younger, single and they thought they were alone. It was strictly women's business that InuYasha had been peeping on.

"Let's just keep it between us for the moment," Kagome suggested. InuYasha nodded.

They gathered their clothes and walked down the short path to the village. Kagome flicked out her compact before entering, checking to see if there were any parts horribly bruised from his feverish kisses. Thankfully, there wasn't.

Sango, Miroku and Shippou were all waiting around the fire in Kaede's house, and it seemed eagerly at that.

"Geez, Kagome, you were ages!" Shippou complained.

"Sorry. InuYasha showed me around his house," Kagome smiled.

"InuYashaa…" whined the fox tyke as the man sat down next to him, eager for a feed. "I've asked you a hundred times to show me around up there, but you never will. What's so special about Kagome? Why does she get to go and you don't."

"It's evident," replied Miroku, who regarded InuYasha with an amused smile. "My dear Shippou, but I'm afraid it's something you won't understand until you're much older."

Sango shot Kagome a quizzical look, to which Kagome replied visually that she'd tell her all the dirty details later. Besides, Sango told Kagome all the dirty details about Miroku, so why shouldn't she share?

Kagome's wet bikini made her dress translucent in all the wrong places, breast, naval and buttocks, and she got a very appreciative glance from a villager who was passing through Kaede's hut. The villager, however, then received a very ferocious growl erupting from InuYasha's throat. Kagome rolled her eyes and went to change in a spare room. It was evident that she would need all the advice from Sango she could get; she was courting a demon now.

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><p>I hope to write a few more parts to this, so please, bear with me. :)<p>

~ Please review.


	2. Part Two: Air

**Mind Games**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights go to Rumiko Takahashi and associates: I make no money out of this.

~Mind Games~

by Arlia'Devi

**Part Two: Air**

**KAEDE ****COOKED ****A ****MEAN ****DINNER. **She often cared for the group upon their travels: her hut, although unconvincing to the eye, could accommodate all five of them plus Kaede very comfortably. She tended to their wounds, fed them, looked after the group as if Sango, Miroku, InuYasha, Shippou and Kagome were of her own kin. Such things, Kagome appreciated. The old woman was wise, but it was evident she was losing vision in her remaining eye, and slowly was becoming deaf.

InuYasha, once fully fed, reclined back and rubbed his stomach in appreciation of the meal Kaede had made. Kagome eyed him; the memories of what they had shared made her weak at the knees. She was apparently his girlfriend, but he, as of yet, did not want to tell the others of their new relationship. And neither did Kagome. Of course, however, the 'others' meant Shippou and Miroku. Sango already sort of knew, so it wouldn't be breaking the rules if she just _confirmed_ those ideas… would it?

After chatting for some time, when Shippou had fallen asleep in Kagome's arms and Kaede had wandered to bed, the gang decided to join. Miroku took up the reeded bed in the room strictly for males, while InuYasha disappeared outside, Miroku assumed, to take care of some business. Kagome handed slumbering Shippou to Miroku, arguing that she had personal _women__'__s_ business to speak with Sango about. It was great how the words 'women' and 'personal' were alarms in the male brain, and soon Miroku took Shippou into the men's room with a, "Say no more, Kagome."

When Kagome had changed into her pyjamas and stepped outside with a towel to brush her teeth, she found InuYasha, reclined and eyes closed, on Kaede's thatched roof. His silver hair glittered in the moonlight and his ears twitched when he heard someone step out of the hut.

"What are you doing up there?" asked Kagome as she began to brush her teeth.

"Sleepin'," he replied.

"Why aren't you inside?"

"It is cooler out here," he said. "Besides, I don't wanna be sleepin' next to Miroku's sweaty body, let alone Shippou's as well."

Kagome went behind the hut to spit in the bushes. "So what, InuYasha, we're really gonna do this?" she wiped her foamy mouth on her hand towel and threw it across her shoulder.

"Do what?" he replied.

"Us. Together?"

"I thought we cleared it up," he replied, crossing his arms across his chest. Then, InuYasha snapped, "Well, if you don't want to Kagome, then you don't have to."

"No," she rebuked. "I want to."

"Good," he jumped down from the hut's roof and landed not one foot in front of her. "How about a goodnight kiss then?"

Kagome smiled and softly caught InuYasha's lips. "Goodnight."

"That was a pretty crappy goodnight kiss," he growled and snatched her hand as she began to walk back into the hut.

"Do you want the others to hear you; I thought we decided to keep it from them for a while?"

InuYasha frowned. "Oh yeah," he dropped Kagome's arm. He didn't want them knowing, not just yet; he feared all the ridicule he'd get from Miroku and Shippou when he did have to announce it. He wanted Kagome, all the time, but in order to keep it a secret they'd have to wait until they were alone. But, by god, he decided, when they were alone they'd certainly make up for missed time. "Um… goodnight then."

Kagome disappeared into the hut then, and InuYasha climbed back onto the roof, settling into doze. Sango was waiting in the girls' room, staring up at the ceiling and lazily patting Kirara.

"So," said Sango. "What did you want to talk to me about? And what were those looks for at dinner?"

"We have to speak quieter," Kagome whispered and slipped into bed. "InuYasha's on the roof; he'll hear us."

Sango rolled over so she faced Kagome. "So I assume this conversation is about him then," she spoke shallowly. Kirara curled into the demon-slayer's side.

"Tell me more about demon's courting."

Sango shrugged. "Well, I don't know. It's a rare circumstance for a demon to court; usually they pursue just for intimacy, why?"

Kagome flicked her eyes up from where she was fidgeting with the hut's floor. "InuYasha kissed me this afternoon."

Sango's hand flew to her mouth and she began to giggle. "I knew it!" she squeaked. "I knew he liked you; no demon starts making a house just because!"

"You're the person who knows most about demon courting; I think I need to be educated."

"Obviously," snorted Sango. "Well, let's begin then. InuYasha is a dog demon, therefore, dog instincts apply. He would like scent, heat and hormones, he's designed to thrive off them and thus accordingly tell him if the female is interested in him or not. Usually, demon-to-demon courting is all about hormones, each picks up on scents emitted which tell if they're interested or not. But, not in this case…" Sango shrugged then. "Obvious signs that his interested in you: he cares about you in some way, goes out of his way to ensure you're comfortable. Demons are strange when it comes to potential mates: they either test their interests, or coddle them… or sometimes both."

"Test?" blanched Kagome. "Why would he want to test me?"

"To see if you're strong enough to carry his children," replied Sango. "And to protect them if something was to happen to him. Other demons pamper their potential mates, ensuring that they'll be well looked after in hopes of bearing healthy offspring. It all depends."

"Do you think he'd test me?" Kagome asked shallowly, knowing full well that InuYasha wouldn't be asleep.

Sango shrugged. "He may have already."

That thought sent shivers through Kagome's body; the idea of InuYasha testing her made her nervous. What if he didn't like what he saw? What if she'd failed the test some how, or worse, what if he hadn't even tested her and when he did, she'd fail?

"It all depends what InuYasha _wants_, Kagome," spoke Sango, trying to relieve her evidently irked friend. "I'm sure he'll talk to you about it."

She was strong, more than capable of defending for herself! If InuYasha was to test her, it would be foolish not to pass her. What other fifteen-year-old girl would have risked life and limb for him in those years that they'd searched for the Shikkon jewel?

"What are other signs he's interested in me?" asked Kagome.

Sango sighed. "I don't know, Kagome. Usually demons will protect their love interests, stay by them in times of need or distress. Often they'll exert their strength and power, their stamina to prove they'll be capable lovers. They feel that in some respects, they have to prove themselves to their mates in order to be considered. Usually, when a demon is looking to mate, his potential female may have a handful of other suitors, so it's essential that the demon prove their worth over all other suitors." Sango sighed. Kagome was really soaking in a lot. "I'm sure you've had humans try to court you before, he is half human; maybe you're forgetting about that sometimes?"

"Sometimes," Kagome admitted. It was just that he never really acted like a human; it appeared that perhaps in his personality he was more demon than human, but his genes would suggest otherwise. Kagome nestled in to sleep then, knowing full well that she needed to get some sleep, but also knowing that it would evade her.

Sango was fast asleep and Kagome wasn't. Through the flimsy walls she could hear Miroku's snoring. The hut was humid, damp with the perspiring of her body, Sango's and Kirara's. Outside, the wind was cool; Kagome felt the breeze from the window tickle the slick skin of her legs. Perhaps she would go for a walk; just a quick one, though Kagome as she slipped on her sandals that lay near the hut's door.

InuYasha was sleeping soundly on the roof, clutching the Tetsuiga between his hands and his head drooped down, it seemed he was dead to the world. Kagome scuttled away quietly; she'd sit down by the river and think, maybe go for a quick swim before going back to sleep.

"Mew!" a small cry startled Kagome as she attempted to sneak past InuYasha.

"Kirara," hissed Kagome and ushered the cat demon towards her. Kirara mewed again and bounded toward Kagome, following her master's friend toward the stream. It was evident that Kirara thought she may have needed some protection on her walks, should she stumble onto any manevolent demons.

"Oh Kirara," sighed Kagome and scratched the kitten's head. "Am I really that weak? I know I'm not the jewel shard detector, kick-ass archer I used to be, but I can't take a walk by myself without protection?"

Kirara didn't reply: she was a cat. She merely rolled over so Kagome could scratch her stomach and her nose could be tickled by the grass which grew by the river.

The words of Sango struck home to Kagome more than she liked to admit that they had; InuYasha's courting of her seemed like such a big deal. At least in the human terms, if you didn't like someone you could easily kick 'em to the curb and be done with it. It seemed that demon relationships, at least the ones that weren't purely for sex, were rather serious matters. Of course, Kagome knew she was a prisoner of her own device, going over and over such trivial matters. If it was important to InuYasha, he would do it; he would court _his_ way, and vise-versa. There was nothing to say that he would to stick to traditions, but there was nothing to say that he wouldn't keep some either.

Kagome lie on back on the grass. The sound of the river rushing past was soothing, and Kirara had snuggled into her side. Finally, things began to slow down for her, her brain began to shut off and her eyelids were droopy. Kagome fell asleep by the river, and remained so until she was stirred at sunrise, and very violently at that.

"Kagome!" said girl woke up to Miroku's worried face peering down at her. "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Kagome sat up, noticing the rushing river tides lapping closer to her feet. "I must have fallen asleep."

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" snarled InuYasha, who had just came to land by the river's edge, one hand resting on Tetsuiga. "The river's come up by two feet; if there was a flash flood you'd have been swept away. What a stupid thing to do! Fall asleep by the river!"

"The air was fresh, and it was cool… I couldn't stop thinking, I was just so tired I fell asleep here…" Kagome got up and dusted off her knees. "Sorry…"

"Kirara would have pulled you back anyway," muttered Miroku, who was patting the little cat affectionately.

"I need to pack my things; I have to go home early today," Kagome muttered and ran her fingers through her hair.

"You don't go home until after lunch," retorted InuYasha. "What's so important that it can't wait?"

"I have to go into the city and take care of some business," replied Kagome, who slipped her shoes back on and made her way back to the village, with Miroku and InuYasha in tow. "I'll be back on Friday afternoon."

"Oh Kagome," Sango cried as Kagome entered the village. Shippou bounded up to hug Kagome, as if he'd thought the worst of her disappearance. "I woke up and I saw you weren't there; I thought I must have really hurt you with what I said last night."

InuYasha frowned. "Why? What were yas talkin' about?"

"Women's business," replied Kagome and sat beside Sango. "It's alright Sango, I needed to clear my head and fell asleep by the river; Kirara came with me so I was in no danger." She dismissed a scoff from presumably InuYasha's direction.

Kagome ate breakfast and then set about gathering her things for her early trip back to the modern era. In all honesty, there was no rush. She didn't really have to leave until after lunch that afternoon, hell, even bordering on dinner was acceptable. But she couldn't stand to be around InuYasha anymore; she needed time to think. All her body wanted to do was to be with him, it ached for his touch; the feel of his lips against her skin, against her own lips and the nuzzling of his nose. Additionally, the whole thing with Sango had left her rather irked to say at the least; she desperately needed to know how InuYasha was going to act around her when they were alone. But pesky Miroku and Shippou would suspect something was up, even if Sango lured them away.

It was evident that InuYasha wasn't pleased that Kagome was going home so early. He sulked in the corner of Kaede's hut, making the old priestess ask Shippou what was wrong, to which he replied, "I dunno, he always acts this sulky when Kagome goes home." To which Kaede laughed heartily and InuYasha glowered at the fox demon.

"Doesn't that make me feel special?" said Kagome to Shippou, and in response a blush crept across InuYasha's face. "Alright, I'll be off now. Bye Shippou!"

The fox demon leapt up to smother Kagome with a hug. "Bye Kagome! See you on Friday. I love you!"

"I love you too Shippou," replied Kagome and gave the little fox a quick peck on the cheek before saying her goodbyes to Kaede.

InuYasha followed Kagome out of the hut as she searched for Sango and Miroku, who were down in the markets. Sango hugged her friend and Miroku bowed politely. "See you next weekend, Kagome," said Miroku. "I hope you have a nice week."

Kagome began her walk towards the Bone Eater's well, with InuYasha in tow. He followed three steps behind, with his arms crossed over his chest. When he gauged that they were a safe enough distance away from the village he asked, "So, why are ya really goin' this early for?"

"I told you," replied Kagome. "I have a lot of business to do in the city. It will take me at least until dinner time."

"You're worried about something," he suddenly said and Kagome turned to glare at him. "Your scent is spiked with worry."

"It's nothing for you to be of concern about, InuYasha," said Kagome matter-of-factly. The well was approaching; only around thirty metres in front of her.

"Look," InuYasha grasped Kagome by the arm and tugged her back. "Before you go, Kagome…" His hand rand down her arm to clasp her palm. "I want you to come back next weekend."

"I am coming back next weekend," she replied and threw her bag pack into the well. A bright blue light and it had been transported. InuYasha tugged her back, obviously rather frustrated.

"Listen, can you just wait for a minute?" he snapped. "It's hard around them, I can't talk to you about what I wanna talk about when they're around."

"Well," said Kagome and propped herself up onto the side of the well. "I'm listening now, what do you want to talk about?"

"You're worried," he said blatantly. "And you're lying. It's all in your smell. Why won't you just tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm afraid I'm getting weak," Kagome muttered.

"What?" asked InuYasha even though his acute hearing allowed him to hear perfectly what she had spoken. "Why would you think that?"

Kagome shrugged. "I just do. I'm not as strong as any of my friends. I can't walk by myself at night without Kirara accompanying me."

"The night is not the safest time to walk," rebutted InuYasha who took Kagome gently by the shoulders. "And your friends are a demon-slayer, trained from birth, a monk who fended for himself at a young age and two demons; it's a pretty tough line up." He pressed his lips against her forehead. "I'll admit it, Kagome; you are stronger than any other woman I've met."

Kagome didn't dare tell him it was the discussion about testing and potential mates that had worried her; but his admittance of at least he found her strong was enough to quash the worries, that perhaps she wouldn't step up to his means of testing.

_He'll try to get you to see that he cares about you… _

InuYasha pulled gently Kagome into an embrace, and nuzzled his nose into the side of her neck before taking a long breath. "I'll accept you have some stuff to do in your world, Kagome," he muttered into her shoulder. "But I don't have to like it."

Then, he kissed her softly on the lips, a lingering yet savouring kiss, before he stepped away from her blushing body. "Bye."

"Bye InuYasha," she smiled. "Will you be here when I come back on Friday."

"Yeah," he nodded. "Of course."

Kagome smiled to the half-demon then, and swung her legs over the end of the well. He stood back as she turned to smile over her shoulder, before slipping into the blue below. A few moments and a sucking sound signalled her transportation from one time to another, and InuYasha exhaled loudly into the air.

What a lie it had been that she had business to do, he thought sourly. If she just wanted to go, she could have said so; that she needed to get away from it all. Frankly, he wanted to get away from it all to, just to take her with him. Their friends had been tedious bystanders on their relationship, always butting in and nosing around when it wasn't wanted. InuYasha thought fondly of the kisses that they'd shared… well, the making out to be specific. She had been very responsive to his actions, it had pleased him immensely. Since, all he'd wanted to do was that; get her alone, on the ground or in the forest, against a tree, anywhere, and just do that. Possibly more, but he wasn't willing to scare her off. Last night, he would have very much liked to sleep beside her. In the boys' room he would have been able to hear her in the next room, smell her scent… it would have been too much; it would have sent him mad with desire. Sleeping outside was a better option: the cool air cleared his head.

He checked the well to make sure Kagome really had disappeared. She had, which, he realised, he found rather disappointing. With a huff, he crossed his arms over his chest and made his way back to the village.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you took the <em>liberty<em>?" growled Kagome to her mother, who was quietly sipping tea and watching a morning talk-show.

"I mean exactly what I said, Kagome," replied her mother. "You're away so often, and I'm sure you wouldn't mind a day off."

"But that means I owe Andrea a shift!" she replied. "On a weekend; you know how full my weekends are."

"Oh, honey, you only spend time with your friends. Just because it's in a different time doesn't mean you're busy. It's basically like meeting up in Tokyo!"

Kagome sunk her head into her hands. Her mother would obviously never understand what life was like in the feudal era; comparing time travel to catching the subway into the city! She had the nerve.

"I don't know why you're not happy Kagome; you've got a three-day weekend. And it's not like you really need the money, God knows you don't spend it."

Shopping, Kagome thought suddenly. That's what would clear her mind; shopping. There was nothing more relaxing than shopping; perhaps she'd find a cute little dress…

"Do you want to come shopping Mum?" asked Kagome as she began to fix her hair.

"Well, sure," replied Mama. "Right now?"

Mama, in a fuss, quickly ascended the stairs to change out of her old around the house clothes while Kagome showered. Sure, she liked bathing in the feudal era, but in the winter months where she'd often have to go days without bathing because of the cold, nothing compared to a steamy hot shower. It was bliss.

"Oh look!" said Mama as she held up a tawny-coloured frock. The dress was pleated, with small brown dots, a beaded swan neck and a tie around the waist. "Isn't this the cutest? I'd be great for weather like this; on a picnic… Why don't you go and try it on?"

The tawny dress fitted beautifully, and was soft and flowing and complimented Kagome's hair and skin colour well. Her mother, like a little girl, swooned when she saw her daughter in such a dress.

"Mum, I've gotta tell you something," muttered Kagome as her mother payed for the dress.

"Yes dear?" replied Mama as she was handed the bag.

"I… I'm dating InuYasha now."

Mama thought about this for a moment. "Only just now? I thought you were already going out with him."

"Oh," muttered Kagome. "What made you think that?"

"I thought it was rather obvious; you two are always together, you rush off on Fridays to see him, come back with him, talk about him, and the way he looks at you is… well," Mama struggled to find the words. "How can I put this? Like you're his next meal; he just wants to devour you. Is that an okay phrase, 'cause of his heritage and all?"

Her mother wouldn't accept that InuYasha was a demon; she merely called his dog-blood his 'heritage'.

"I know what you mean, Mum," replied Kagome.

"Why are you home so early then?" Mama asked. "Don't you want to spend time with him anymore? Did he cross the line and now it's awkward between you two?"

No, that wasn't the case. "It's hard with our friends; we want to keep it a secret." Truthfully, she left because she didn't how long they could keep it a secret for; if her body was longing for his touch again she couldn't imagine how much he wanted her. The worst thing would be for them to lose control, for InuYasha to have her backed up into a corner of Kaede's hut, and Miroku and Shippou walk in on them.

"I understand," nodded Mama. "It was the same with your father; he waited a while before he told his friends that we were dating. It was for the best I think, but all of his friends had their suspicions anyway."

Mama told her daughter then, how appreciative she was in Kagome's honesty. It seemed that they hadn't spent much time together recently, and poor Souta had taken the place of _both_ the daughter and the son in the family.

The next morning, Kagome rose a little later than usual, both annoyed and thankful that her mother had swapped her shift with Andrea. Her mother had gone to work early, and Grandpa was watching television. He said, "There's something on the servery for you Kagome; it's from your mother," and pointed with a bony finger toward the kitchen.

"Day off – do something fun with your friend?" read a note attached to a picnic basket. 'A picnic?' frowned Kagome. With InuYasha? Huh, Kagome thought and considered the idea for a moment. She could sneak around the feudal era: Sango, Miroku and Shippou thought she wouldn't be back until the weekend…

Donning the new dress purchased, Kagome quickly did her hair, pinning back one side and applying a small amount of makeup. A layer of mascara and a smidge of pink gloss and Kagome filled the picnic basket with a few rice balls and sushi that had appeared in the fridge. Had her mother planned this? If she had, it was rather extensive. Kagome called her goodbyes to her grandfather and set towards the well.

The day in the feudal era was a similar day to Tokyo: hot but still rather cool, a slight breeze tickled Kagome's thighs. The dress was a little shorter than what she would have usually donned, but, she smirked, she knew InuYasha appreciated every inch of skin she exposed.

The villagers told Kagome that they'd seen InuYasha praying at Kikyo's temple, of which he often did go to pay his respects to his dead love. Although they'd had such a dysfunctional relationship both alive and in death, he prayed for her peace in the other world.

Other villager's told Kagome they'd seen him go up to the hut which he was working on. So, Kagome walked the meandering path towards his home, of which she soon heard cursing and banging coming from behind that tall wondrously red-flowered plant.

"InuYasha?" called Kagome sweetly as she rounded the shrub.

"Huh?" he dropped a large sheet of timber, something looking like a wall of sorts. "Kagome? Whadd'ya doin' back so early?"

"My shift got switched at work, and I was bored at home. No one else knows I'm here," she wiggled the picnic basket. "Do you want to join me for lunch?"

"Yeah," he said. "Sure. We can go to the clearing in the forest by the well?"

It was at that point, Kagome noticed that InuYasha wore little clothing; his haoni was off, and his pants were rolled up to his knees. Evidently he hadn't been working for long because he wasn't sweating and his hands weren't very dirty. InuYasha abandoned his work on the hut and ran to join Kagome back into the village.

"Sango and Miroku have gone off on by themselves and Shippou's accompanying Kirara to see Kohaku," spoke InuYasha casually and carefully ran a claw down the exposed flesh of Kagome's arm. "So we won't be interrupted."

The clearing was beautiful, 'a perfect place for a picnic' thought Kagome as she spread out the picnic blanket. Behind, InuYasha was going through the food she had packed with eager claws. Sometimes, he really only did think of his guts.

Although InuYasha's attire had slipped Kagome's mind for a moment, it seemed InuYasha had fully noticed the dress Kagome had been wearing. It was a higher cut; it barely breezed around her upper thigh, but he appreciated it. It was the kind of thing he only appreciated, however, when there was no one else around.

Kagome sat out the lunchboxes her mother had made them and both InuYasha began to eat. She fished out a can of soft drink and offered InuYasha a can of lemonade; his favourite, of which he took gratefully. Future food was strange sometimes, packed weirdly and held peculiar tastes, but he enjoyed lemonade, and god, those dried potatoes were to die for! Sometimes Kagome brought food which she said were for dogs and cats, too, but that he could eat them if he wanted.

"Want to play, Kagome?" asked InuYasha as he slurped the last mouthful of lemonade.

"Not really," she muttered and stretched out onto the picnic rug. "Mum packed so much food; I think I want to lie down for a bit before running around. Besides, I thought you didn't like playing games, InuYasha?"

"I don't," replied InuYasha. "I don't play games. I just wanted to _play_."

"Cad," muttered Kagome and rolled over onto stomach, offering InuYasha a look at her thighs. "Can you stop looking, InuYasha? Geez."

He fell upon his stomach then, beside her and grinned. "Looking is no harm, is it?" he smiled lazily. "It's," a hand moved to tickle the small of her back. "when you touch," the tickles grew a little higher. Kagome began to squirm. "That becomes the problem." His fingers touched the right spot and Kagome buckled as he tickled her ribs.

"Stop! Stop!" she cried and pushed his hands away. InuYasha, however, obviously elated that he'd found her weak point, pinned her arms back and began to tickle ferociously.

Kagome kicked and squealed, and attempted anything that would get InuYasha out of tickling distance. But it was all in vain as InuYasha was invariably stronger; he merely pinned back her flailing limbs and trapped her on the ground and continued his tickling assault.

"You never told me you were so ticklish, Kagome," smirked InuYasha as he moved to tickle her lower stomach, of where she was much ticklish than before.

"Leave me alone!" she gasped for air and attempted to scramble free. It appeared for a second, when she jumped to her hands and knees and crawled out from underneath his body, that she'd almost gotten free. But that was all apart of his sick plan when he grasped her ankle tightly and pulled her back.

"InuYasha!" hissed Kagome when her dress rode up, exposing her legs hips and the lacy strap of her white underwear.

"Shouldn't have tried to escape," he muttered and ran his hand up her thigh. She was sweaty and hot, the result of such playful action before hand, and she was turned on by his closeness; her scent was a mix of intoxicating smells that emitted off her body: sweat, salt, and musk. InuYasha leant in to catch his woman's lips when suddenly he felt a twinge in his gut.

"Shit!" he muttered as Kagome began to tickle his hips. His claws furiously batted away her nimble fingers, but she quickly caught his hips again and began to wrathfully tickle him.

"That's what you get, InuYasha!" she cried as he cringed and rolled to his side. Quickly, Kagome leapt up to pin him down and ran her fingers up and down the sides of his waist. This evidently drove him mad as he kicked and screamed, and attempted to push Kagome off many times. "Suffer!"

When Kagome decreed InuYasha had indeed had enough torture for them to be even, she retracted her 'devil's fingers' as he cursed, and allowed InuYasha to calm down. Her legs straddled him and he chuckled while a meandering hand crept up her thigh.

"I've never let anyone pin me down," he muttered and grinned. "That's a first."

"_Let_ me? Please," Kagome scoffed. "It's obvious that I overpowered you. Now I know your weaknesses, InuYasha, I'm going to exploit them."

Suddenly, Kagome was flipped onto her back and her hands were pinned by either side of her head. "Overpowered me?" InuYasha grinned wolfishly. "Please, give me a break!"

"I won't tell the others you're so easy," smiled Kagome. "I promise."

"You'll tell the others jack shit," snapped InuYasha. He caught her lips briefly. "This is our business, Kagome. No one else needs to know."

Kagome lifted a hand, signalling that she wanted to be let go. InuYasha grinned at first, pushing her hand down harder, knowing the spot on his waist she should go for if he released her. But when she lifted her knee and began to rub her inner thigh against InuYasha's leg, he growled in approval and let the arm free, knowing he was going to get what he wanted.

Kagome hooked her hand behind InuYasha's head and brought him down, but the boy needed no such inducements. He quickly began to kiss her, softly at first, as if he'd forgotten how, but soon his kisses became feverish and frantic. His tongue ran across the bottom of her lip and pressed for entrance. It was granted as Kagome shifted to press her body against his, to which she received a throaty growl of appreciation. A hand hooked under the small of her back and the other released Kagome's second hand to bury itself within her hair.

Their tongues rubbed against each other, exploring wet mouths before InuYasha pulled away and began to trail ardent kisses, a mash of teeth, tongue and lips, down her exposed neck.

A hand moved from the small of Kagome's back to run up the sides of her creamy thigh, delightfully exposed to the panty line. There was no one around, any scents to be wary of; InuYasha could gorge his senses unto what he wished; providing Kagome was willing, of course.

She moaned softly as he began to suckle what was exposed of her collarbone, but the beaded swan-neck of her dress left little skin to work with. He wanted nothing more to pull it off; that she was only in those undergarments so popular in the future, but he restrained himself. Why would he want to scare Kagome off; he'd waited four years just to have her.

"InuYasha," spoke Kagome as he nipped softly at her lip. "Sit up."

He grunted in response and kissed her defiantly. But Kagome was persistent; pushing her hands against his chest in an effort for him to sit up. Eventually InuYasha sighed and sat up; leaving Kagome dishevelled with hair a mess, her cheeks flushed and her new dress wrinkled.

"What?" he snapped. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," replied Kagome, who sat up on her knees and shuffled toward InuYasha. "I just thought I would try playing differently." She took his cheek in her hand and ran her tongue playfully along his bottom lip, before swiftly flicking her tongue over his cupid's bow.

"What sort of playing?" said InuYasha with a grin as Kagome straddled him, her legs either side of his hips. His mouth caught hers.

"Playing I think you'd like," she purred before beginning to work her lips against his. When a growl of satisfaction rumbled through his throat after she bit down onto his lip, Kagome knew InuYasha liked it rather physically. Her hands ran down his broad shoulders as their tongues rubbed and probed, before across his waist, giving the spot she knew he'd buckle a small tickle.

"Don't," he growled. "Or I swear I'll throw you down on the ground and won't let you go."

To InuYasha's surprise Kagome grinned. "Tempting," she whispered saucily and lingered her hands there for a moment longer. She caught his bottom lip again and then slowly moved her hands downward, running over the hard abdomen muscles carved from years fighting, making him shiver, before stopping and running her fingers over the delicate skin were his pants sat.

"You're a vixen," he grinned.

Kagome then ripped her lips away from his, and, ignoring the whimper of protest, worked a hot trail of open mouthed kisses down his neck, making sure to graze her teeth every now and then against his flesh. InuYasha, in response, whimpered and moaned softly into her ear; she being the only one he'd let know what he liked, and let know that he was succumbing to her touch.

InuYasha took his time to feel her: the small of her back, the sides of her hips, but when Kagome darted her tongue across the length of his collarbone, he yelped in surprise and grasped her buttocks.

InuYasha felt Kagome chuckle in response as he felt her up, like Miroku, the damned lecherous monk, but at least he had a warrant for such rear-rubbing.

Her hands pushed him back a little as her lips went back to taste his again. No sooner did InuYasha realise that he was being pinned down again, than Kagome was tracing a steady trail of agonisingly superb kisses down his chest, her long hair tickling his bare skin. His fingers dug into the picnic rug below as Kagome kissed torturingly lower, rubbing her lips, tongue and teeth against his flesh. A whimper passed through his lips as her tongue rolled over old battle scars, and then suddenly, she was back to his lips again, working with his tongue. At long last, she suckled the skin of his shoulder, slumping on top of his sweating body.

"You're going to be a handful," he seemed to moan as Kagome rolled to the side. "But I don't think it's something I can't handle…"

"Better hope not," she replied and propped herself up onto her side with an elbow. "Oh and InuYasha?"

"Yeah?"

"You've been pinned down; I overpowered you again."

"What?" he cried. "No! I was distracted!"

"Sure, sure," laughed Kagome. "Just admit it, you like me being in control."

A finger ran slowly up the side of Kagome's thigh. "Don't worry," he grinned. "It won't happen again."

Two could play at that game, decided Kagome, and pouted her lips saucily before running her hand down his chest. She leant into whisper, her hot breath in the shell of his ear. "But you liked me on top; rubbing my rear, feeling me respond to you, me kissing you down your neck… down your chest…" he gulped. "It was hot, and you loved every minute of it, didn't you?"

"You're damn right I did," he snarled in reply and caught her bottom lip. This time, instead of his lips, his teeth grazed her mouth. "And don't you damn well tell anyone else. And another thing… don't talk to me like _that_," he whispered as he began to suckle at her neck. "If you don't want to affect me."

"Oh, I think you've had all you need, InuYasha," murmured Kagome and pulled away.

"What are you saying, Kagome?" he whimpered as she sat up and leant against the well. He ran a hand over her foot. "I can never have enough."

"It's all about moderation, InuYasha," she replied. "And I have to get going."

"What? It's only midday! Stay with me for a little longer."

Kagome pondered the thought; she had planned to stay for a while, she'd even brought her assigned book to read for her literary classes. And there were still lots of cans of drink left in her backpack.

"I suppose," she muttered and delved into her back to fish out her book.

"Did ya bring any of them dried potatoes with you?" queried InuYasha as he peeked into her bag. Kagome threw him a packet and he ate them gleefully.

It turned out to be a marvellous afternoon; sitting in the shade of an overhanging tree, all alone, reading a book and receiving small tokens of affection from her new half-demon; kisses on her shoulder, and soft rubs. The breeze ruffled her skirt a little bit; and the day turned into a fluffy, yet wonderful memory; of nothing but his warm kisses, the smell of grass and flowers and the cool breeze.

* * *

><p>I do hope you appreciated my rather lengthy make-out scene, there. These chapters are rather long and they take me a while, not only to churn out, but to edit and such, but hopefully I will be able to update rather frequently.<p>

If you liked it, do tell me so, press "Review" and write me a short message.

Until next time ~ xo


	3. Part Three: Earth

**Mind Games**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights go to Rumiko Takahashi and associates. I make no profit from this story.

A/N:**I ****would ****like ****to ****re-enforce ****this ****story****'****s ****rating ****of**** '****M****'**.

~ Mind Games~

by Arlia'Devi

**Part Three: Earth**

**DAMN ****THAT ****KAGOME; ****SHE ****WAS ****IN ****FOR ****IT ****WHEN ****SHE ****GOT ****BACK. **InuYasha scowled at his reflection in the pond near his home. Distinctly, along the side of his shoulder was a love bite, inflicted by the one and only Kagome. The worst thing was that, not only had he not even noticed it to give her one back on Monday, but Miroku, Shippou and Sango, upon their return to the village Wednesday morning, noticed it. _That_ was how he found out about it; that vixen! By that point, it was at its worst; bruised and red, with tiny purple puncture marks from when she'd dug in her teeth.

Fuck, was she going to get it when she got back.

And she was due to pop through the well at any time.

_Wednesday morning… _

"_What__'__s __that __on __your __neck, __InuYasha?__"_ Miroku's worried voice rang through his head. The monk pressed his fingers softly to the mark and leant in to study it closer.

"Wha-? What's there, Miroku?"

"My, my, my!" ribbed Miroku as he leant away. He folded his hands over his chest and chuckled. Sango and Shippou stood behind him, waiting an answer eagerly. "Looks like InuYasha's got a love bite!"

Shippou was confused. "What's that?"

"Who's the lucky girl, InuYasha?" sung Miroku teasingly. Sango said nothing.

"None of your business monk," snapped InuYasha. "What? Are ya jealous that I'm getting tail and you're not?"

"Not at all," replied Miroku and stepped back. He should have known, nay, he _did_ know, that courting for demons was very private matter, but it was InuYasha! He couldn't help but press the buttons. "Tell me, this if nothing else, who's the lucky girl and when do we get to meet her?"

"None of your business," snapped the half-demon. "And you two," he regarded Sango and Shippou. "Quit your oogling! It ain't something on show. I didn't even know I had it."

"How?" smiled Miroku slyly. "How could you not have known?"

"Well obviously," InuYasha tried another tactic: scare the nosey monk off by giving him exactly what he wanted. "I was rather pleasurably distracted, wasn't I? I didn't even notice."

"She must have been pretty wild for you not to notice that, InuYasha." Evidently, the trick had not worked.

"Keh," he snorted. "I'm not talking to _you_ about it; piss off, all of youse."

And with that, they left and InuYasha went back to working on his hut in the mountains. Briefly, InuYasha swore he heard Sango scowling Miroku for being so nosy, but dismissed it. He had bigger things to worry about now, like how he would get back at her on Friday evening when she returned.

But when Kagome climbed through the well, Miroku had brought Shippou down to the clearing to meet her. InuYasha, who still wasn't talking to the monk, scowled when he called out,

"InuYasha! Covering it up now, are we?"

"None of your business, monk!" snapped InuYasha.

"Kagome!" Shippou cried as Kagome pulled herself up the well. "Hi, how was your week?"

Kagome, InuYasha noticed, look strikingly different; as if all the energy from her body had been drained. She was washed out; her shining raven hair was now limp and flaccid. Dark circles had been perched under her eyes, as if she'd not had a decent sleep all week.

"Hi Shippou," muttered Kagome and stumbled forward.

"Kagome," Shippou tugged on his friend's fingers. "What's the matter?"

"Hey, InuYasha," Kagome smiled to the boy standing in front of her, and then to Miroku. "Hi, Miroku."

"Kagome," Miroku bowed politely. "What's ailing you, if I may ask?"

"Yeah," InuYasha scoffed to the monk. "You're conservative and polite when it comes to Kagome."

"Oh," the young woman replied and cringed. "I'm tired and full of pains. I could barely climb up the well...," she sighed heavily. "I think I might just go and sleep in Kaede's hut until dinner."

InuYasha frowned. "What, are you getting sick?"

"No," she replied. "Probably not."

Shippou walked ahead with Kagome and Miroku, as sly as ever, lagged behind with InuYasha. "Broken heart," spoke Miroku dolefully.

"What are you on about monk?" seethed InuYasha.

"Isn't it obvious? Kagome probably knows you're going on with another woman. She's liked you for so long. She's probably ill with a broken heart. You really should go and explain things to her…"

InuYasha scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. "I ain't gotta do nothin' you say, monk."

When they returned to the village, Sango seemed to notice Kagome's illness almost instantly and asked the woman what was the matter. Kagome replied, but it was to any deity's knowing what she said, but the demon-slayer merely nodded solemnly and guided her younger friend into Kaede's hut.

"I wonder what's the matter with Kagome," asked Shippou as he came to sit by InuYasha.

InuYasha scoffed. "Probably just a cold, humans always come down with illnesses…" In her state, it would be harder for him to get back at her for the public humiliation she had caused him. But no matter, he frowned, she would get what was coming to her soon enough.

When Kaede called dinner on the cool Friday night, InuYasha had expected to see Kagome helping the older woman prepare the large dinner she was making. Instead she was lying to the side of the fireplace, wrapped in a thick blanket and in rather obvious pain.

"What's wrong with Kagome, Kaede?" asked Miroku, who went to check the sleeping woman for fever.

"Women's business," Kaede replied and filled Shippou's bowl with rice. "Strictly."

"Ah," Miroku seemed to catch on, then. It seemed the other two males, however, were oblivious to Kagome's sudden illness. "Sango, did you give Kagome some of those herbs you use?"

"I did," replied the demon-slayer. "But they don't seem to be working very well."

"Huh?" muttered Shippou between mouthfuls of rice. "I don't get it…"

"You don't need to understand," muttered Kaede as Kagome was roused by Sango for dinner. "It's strictly women's business."

"Oh, hey guys," muttered Kagome as she awoke and lazily rubbed the sleep out of her eye. "Sango, those herbs really helped. My back's a bit sore, but all the aching in my legs is gone."

"They're good aren't they?" Sango grinned. "Kirara can sleep behind you if you'd like tonight; her body's warmth helps with the pain."

The group ate their dinner quietly, the chatter that seemed to fill dinner times gone on account of Kagome's pains. That was, however, until Kaede got to her feet and rustled through her herbs. She put three into a small bag and tossed it towards InuYasha.

"Here, ye," she muttered and sat back down again. InuYasha opened the tiny draw-string bag and sniffed the contents. "Healing herbs for that love bite of yours."

"What!" InuYasha's face flushed a fierce red. "How do _you_ know about that? …Miroku!"

"I didn't tell her!" the monk defended himself with his hands waving in the air. "Honest!"

"He didn't have to tell me," replied Kaede. "The entire village knows."

"What!" InuYasha threw his head back in despair.

"Well, when ye will run around topless with such a statement, the village can only assume ye may have a new flame..."

"Fucking gossiping villagers," he shot a deathly look to Kagome, who, upon receiving it, grinned slyly. "They should learn to mind their own goddamn business. Don't they have anything else to talk about, other than me?"

"Evidently not, InuYasha," smirked Miroku. "But you are good fodder."

"Fodder my ass."

"Ye are not angry at the woman who gave you the mark?" Kaede asked, upon serving Sango another bowl of rice. This, to the group seemed like a rather brave question but Kaede was going blind, she wasn't going stupid. It was evident that Kagome and InuYasha had finally found each other; she knew it all along to happen. Often she'd caught them flirting with each other and the longing and warm glances they shot between, when they didn't think that anyone else was around. Kaede didn't know when it had happened, but it definitely _had_ happened.

"Yeah," snapped InuYasha. "I'm fucking pissed off."

Sango ate her rice quietly, sometimes making small talk with Kagome beside her. "So… there are some hot springs in the forest, we can go there tonight if you'd like?"

"…She didn't even tell me!" InuYasha was still ranting, Kagome rolled her eyes. So, she'd given him a love bite; he'd certainly enjoyed it at the time. She honestly thought he knew! Oh well, she huffed, they were definitely trying their best to keep it all a secret: if only he'd worn a shirt… InuYasha was still ranting. "Next time I see her, I'm going to make her pay."

"Yeah sure," Kagome replied to Sango, disregarding InuYasha's idle threats that were evidently aimed for her to hear. He wouldn't do anything to her, and if he tried something, all she had to do was take off her shirt and he'd be putty in her hands. "Sounds nice."

"Excuse me ladies," InuYasha drawled. "But we're having a conversation here, if you'd be so kind… Anyway…"

"Kagome," Kaede turned her attention away from InuYasha. "You're going to the hot springs? Take some bathing salts; it will help with the cramping. Do such pains happen often with you?"

"Unfortunately yeah," Kagome replied. "Every… urm…," she looked around to the three men of which they were sharing dinner. "Every month." Deciding to change the subject, Kagome suddenly blurted out. "So, who _did_ give you the love bite, InuYasha?"

Both Miroku's and Shippou's mouths dropped open. How brave of Kagome! Geez, did she have a death wish?

"Heh," InuYasha grunted. "None of _your_ business."

"I've heard it was a pretty good one." Oh yes, given the opportunity, Kagome was sure that she'd get her 'just desserts' from InuYasha.

"Well," he frowned and eyed Miroku, who was on the edge of his seat. "She… She, uhh… she's just a girl from another village."

"What's her name?" joined in Sango, an amused flicker of a smile dancing across her face.

"I don't know!"

"Typical!" announced Miroku with a sigh. "You don't even have the common courtesy to know the poor girl's name…"

"Please!" spat the half-demon. "I don't need lectures from you about _courtesy_."

"I'm always very courteous to Sango," he turned to the woman in question so that she could back him up. "Aren't I, my dear?"

"Well," Sango blushed. "I suppose?" Deciding it was much too awkward; the demon slayer changed the conversation. "So, Kagome!" she slapped her thighs and rose to her feet. "Should we take a walk to these hot springs before it gets too late at night?"

"Sure," Kagome snuck away from the boys, who were still arguing of the identity of InuYasha's illusive and assumed promiscuous new lover. The girls bid their goodbyes, and InuYasha caught Shippou on his attempt to join.

Sango, with her boomerang safely secured behind her back, waited until they were deep into the forest before she opened her mouth.

"So…," Sango grinned. "A love bite, huh?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sango," replied Kagome and folded her arms across her chest. "It's evident he must have _another_ girlfriend."

"Please. InuYasha is horrible with women. When did you give it to him? Sunday on the way back to the well?"

"Monday," replied Kagome. "I had the day off work, so I decided to come back here and we had a picnic together."

Sango kicked a rock along the moonlit path. The springs were only a little way ahead and if they ran into trouble, she'd know what to do. Plus, InuYasha back at the hut would able to smell it if blood had been spilt in such a close proximity to the village. She found it amusing aggravating InuYasha about this new lover of his, when it was evident to her that it was Kagome: perhaps not to Miroku, that was. Most things Kagome told Sango and vice-versa remained between the two of them, in a sort of sisterhood pact. It was surprising, however, the length that InuYasha was willing to go to keep his relationship with Kagome a secret: making up a new woman, getting defensive whenever Miroku brought it up.

"Miroku gave it to him about it," Sango muttered. "Apparently, InuYasha hadn't noticed it, as so had gone about his daily business shirtless for the entire village. He was pretty pissed off when he found out about it, especially from Miroku. And a love bite to a dog demon is a serious thing."

"Hm?" said Kagome. "How serious?"

Sango shrugged. "I suppose if he'd done it on you it would make more sense, usually demons bite each other to show pride in their new mates, a marking the other is to wear with honour."

"Huh," nodded Kagome. The springs were beside them now; Sango was slipping off her weapons and clothes to bathe in the steaming water. The springs were often full of men, but since a civil war had erupted between two neighbouring villagers, most of the villager's men had been at war. Not that it surprised anyone really; peace in the feudal era was just time to fill between wars. All it meant was that the springs were free for women like Sango and Kagome to bathe, without the dread of groping hands from mid-aged perverts.

"What about you and Miroku?" asked Kagome as she slipped into the steaming water. What bliss! "How are you two going?"

"Fine," replied Sango and dipped her head under the water. Kagome took the salt crystals Kaede had handed to her and poured it into the steaming water. "He talked to me about children the night before last."

"Children?"

"Hm," Sango nodded. "It seems they've been on his mind rather frequently now that the wind tunnel has been cured."

"Wait," Kagome held up her hands and giggled. "Did he ask you to 'bear his child', Sango?"

Sango laughed and shrugged, and when Kagome thought she was going to say something to brush it off, the younger girl was shocked to hear, "I think he's going to ask me to marry him soon…"

"Really?" a hand flew to her mouth. "How do you know?"

Sango shrugged. "I think when the time is right, you just know. I'm ready to get married, I want to have children, and I want it all with him."

"Oh," Kagome's hands flew to her cheeks. "That's so romantic, Sango!"

The demon-slayer nodded as she too, slipped into the water. The hot springs around these parts were the best in the area: noted for their healing benefits. When Sango was younger, she fondly remembered her mother, upon mounting Kirara, took herself and two other village girls with similar aches and pains as Kagome to the healing springs.

"Do you get pains often, Kagome?" asked Sango. "They seem rather extreme."

Kagome shrugged. "I never used to; then I went on the pill and my cycle has just been in overdrive and all over the place. Oh," Kagome mentally kicked herself when a confused frown flittered over Sango's features. "The pill is a little capsule you take, and it prevents pregnancy."

Sango frowned. "I don't see why you would take something like that, you're not being intimate? ... Are you?"

"No!" cried Kagome. "No! Of course not; it's just pre-emptive. Anyway, I'm going off of the pill; I can't stand these horrible pains any longer."

Sango nodded, but didn't fully understand Kagome's situation: it usually happened when the time-traveller talked about her life in the future; it was all new and sometimes rather confusing. But Sango tried to understand: it was evident that Kagome understood both lives in the future and in the past, so why couldn't she, too?

The girl's finished their bathing in the hot springs, pulled their clothes back on and leisurely made their way back towards the village. It was only around nine when they returned, according to Kagome's watch, which dipped in and out with the strange feudal times. Miroku and InuYasha had a big fight, informed Shippou, all about Kagome.

"Oh, Kagome!" blubbered Shippou. "I don't want to tell you; it'll break your heart!"

"Tell me Shippou," edged on the priestess.

"Well," he wiped tears away from his eyes furiously. "When you and Sango left, Miroku started to yell at InuYasha, asking him why he would take a lover in another village and leave you in the dark like that."

"Oh no," groaned Sango. "Continue, Shippou."

"InuYasha told Miroku that his personal life is none of his business and that so what if he'd gotten tail with someone else; he'd often smelt other males on Kagome. InuYasha yelled at Miroku that if you, Kagome, ever told him about other males? Miroku started to go on about Koga, and that got InuYasha _really_ pissed off."

Lie, Kagome thought inwardly. There had been no other men; she hadn't even seen Koga in three and a half years. Perhaps he smelt Gramps on her when she kissed him goodbye?

"And then Miroku said why would InuYasha abandon Kagome like that when all she'd ever done is care for him? Miroku told InuYasha that he wasn't deserving of such a woman's love. Then InuYasha stormed off and went in that way," Shippou pointed towards the forestry. "And Miroku went into the village."

"I'll go and sort out InuYasha," Kagome sighed.

"Right," nodded Sango. "I'll go and talk to Miroku."

"I swear, Sango," laughed Kagome. "These men are hopeless without us."

* * *

><p>InuYasha sat in the sacred tree, pulling petals off the large flowers it bloomed between the transitions of summer to spring. He smelt Kagome before he saw her.<p>

She was probably coming to calm him down. Well, she'd be in for tough luck. No one was gunna calm him down. Fucking Miroku! He should learn to mind his own business.

"InuYasha?" her sweet voice called into the evening air. She wouldn't give up until he answered.

"What?" it was a rude reply, but a reply nonetheless.

"Where are you?"

"At the top of the sacred tree."

She looked up, but her vision was clouded in darkness. He, however, could see her as if it were daylight. "Can you come down?" she called. "I can't see and I'm afraid to be this far into the forest at night."

InuYasha rolled his eyes. At least if someone kidnapped her he'd have something to vent out on.

Kagome smelt funny, the way she normally did on her monthly 'periods' or whatever she called them. He descended the tree and ran to greet her, grasping her forearms softly to let her know he was by her side. She might as well have been blind to have seen anything so far into the forest.

"What are you doing out so far?" he scowled, but couldn't hide the fact that his voice was laced with worry.

Kagome shrugged. "My back is killing me, and all I want to do is go to sleep, but I had to come out and make sure you're alright. Shippou told me about your fight with Miroku."

"Yeah, well, Miroku should learn to mind his own business." He was going to rebut about it entirely being her fault for giving him the love bite that started the whole mess in the process, but he decided that would be a fight for another night. Kagome was much to tired and weak to be arguing tonight.

"Maybe we should just tell them," Kagome muttered. "It would make things a lot easier."

InuYasha didn't reply.

"I want to go back to Kaede's hut now; can you take me back?" she asked. "I don't want to have to walk back by myself…"

InuYasha carried Kagome back, checked that there was no one around Kaede's hut before briefly pressing his lips against hers. He informed her that he was going for a run; to 'clear his head' and then darted off without another word.

Inside, Kagome changed into her pyjamas and nestled into Kirara to sleep by the fire. Sango had found Miroku and calmed him down, said Shippou, and now the two were off doing their own thing – whatever that was, muttered Shippou. Kagome could have had two guesses what they'd gotten up to when Sango and Miroku came back; Sango a little exhausted, but glowing and Miroku obviously rather elated. It seemed that Miroku was not only a little elated, but he was rather drunk and stumbled into the ladies' room. Sango laughed softly and asked that Kagome notify that if InuYasha returned, Miroku was in their room with her.

Sango was right: Kirara's body heat was great for her aching lower back. She slept soundly against the giant cat demon, which was, before Kirara awoke with a primal snarl when InuYasha stumbled through the door. Kagome watched at him groggily as he removed his haori and white undershirt before he regarded Kirara seriously.

"Don't you tell the others about this," he warned the cat, who, in response, flattened her ears and bared her teeth.

InuYasha moved to nestle in beside the cat, slinking his arms around Kagome's waist and pulling her in. His nose nestled on her shoulder; and he took in her scent before exhaling heavily.

"How was the run?" yawned the young woman.

"Fine," replied the half-demon. "How are your pains?"

"Good."

"Are ya comfortable? Do you want a hot water bottle or somethin'? Tea?"

"What's gotten into you, InuYasha?" hummed Kagome. "Usually you're not so… considerate."

"Complainin'?"

"No," she replied and ran her hands softly along the claws that gripped her middle. "Merely observing."

All the while, Sango's voice echoed through her mind.

"_He'll try to make you see that he cares about you in some way, goes out of his way to ensure you're comfortable._

"I really appreciate you being here for me, InuYasha," she muttered groggily when she realised he had to hear those words.

"Hm," he replied as if it had meant nothing. It had not, evidently, as in the cavity of his chest that Miroku accused of not having a heart, such an organ swelled. "Go to sleep."

"I… I trust you."

He sighed into her ear, his hot breath billowing against her hair. It seemed InuYasha didn't want to talk anymore: he wanted to sleep. He wanted to sleep, with Kagome in his arms. And he did.

That was, until the sunlight filtered through the bamboo door of Kaede's hut, bathing the half-demon, the cat and Kagome in its morning light. The old priestess grumbled softly to herself when she beheld the sight before her; it was obvious that InuYasha and Kagome had gotten together. They'd been dancing around each other for years, playing keep-away with each other's feelings like a pair of children. Now, they were cuddled into each other's embrace: Kagome's head nestled in the crook of his neck, and InuYasha's chin resting on top of Kagome's head. Their arms encircled each other, and their legs were hopelessly entangled.

Kaede swiftly hooked her foot under InuYasha's and dragged the dog-demon's body down. His head slid off Kirara's stomach and slammed onto the ground.

"Ow!" he roared. "Ya old bitch, why'd ya do that for?" Kagome stirred in his arms.

"Ye should be more careful," replied Kaede and began to stoke the fire. "It's halfway through the morning; if the other's awoke and saw ye two in such a way, your secret would be exposed." She placed a kettle to boil water for her morning tea.

"Mmm," Kagome stirred. "Go back to sleep, InuYasha." She sighed and nestled back into his chest.

"Wake up, Kagome," he gritted and untangled himself from her body. "And you," he regarded Kaede then. "You tell the others about this, and I'll…"

"I'm not going to tell ye friends," snapped the old woman and poured herself a cup of tea, raising the small porcelain cup to InuYasha. "Tea?"

He snarled in reply and escaped out the bamboo doorway, leaving Kagome to awake slowly. Her eyes fought the light; oh to be in her own bed again! She sighed; when she could close the curtains on the sunlight and hit 'snooze' on her alarm clock. At least then she could have slept with the hanyou a little longer; her mother wouldn't have intruded.

"How are ye pains, Kagome?" asked Kaede. "You're getting friendlier with InuYasha, I see."

"Yeah," she replied sheepishly. "They're a lot better. It's any surprise to you?"

"Not at all," replied the older woman. "I am very happy for ye. For both of ye, actually, although InuYasha's irritable at me for waking ye two; but, if I hadn't the others certainly must have found out. And," she took a long sip of her tea. "InuYasha has been doing an enormous effort to keep it a secret; the fight he had with the monk last night was a heated one indeed."

"I should go and talk to him about that," muttered Kagome and played with the hems of her pyjamas. "Firstly, however, I'm going to take a dip in the stream."

Kagome gathered her clothes from the ladies room; Sango was awake and smiled as she entered, before continuing to run her fingers gently through a very hung-over Miroku's hair. He had become sickly pale and was muttering complaints in a bare, groggy voice.

"How is he?"

"He'll be sick all day," Sango replied. "Which will give the boys time to calm down. Shippou's sleeping in the other room."

Kagome nodded and gathered her garments. "I'm going to go down to the river."

Walking through the village in her pyjamas only fazed Kagome the first time she'd done it. The villagers didn't really care; Kagome wore stranger clothes than a pair of pyjamas: a pair of shorts and a tank. She walked the short path towards the river; where it pooled in makeshift baths the villagers had constructed over the years. Small bushes separated some of the baths, providing modesty for female bathers. Water run through the stony pools, clean and filtered, but it was evident when Kagome disregarded her clothes and stepped into a small pool, that she wasn't alone in the baths.

A small child, perhaps, making splashing sounds with their feet, Kagome sighed and sunk into the pool, wetting her hair and squeezing a dollop of shampoo into her palm. When she had worked the shampoo into a foamy lather, something caught her attention: the sound of someone wading through the water, coming closer.

"Kagome?" the estranged voice said and suddenly a small, white nose peeked through the bushes.

"InuYasha!" Kagome cried.

"No!" he rebutted and flailed backwards. "Don't say it Kagome! Please!"

The words 'sit boy' were on the edge of her tongue, but she suppressed the instinct, swallowing the words as the half-demon waded to an acceptable distance.

"What are you doin' here Kagome?"

She rolled her eyes. "Probably the same thing as you, InuYasha: taking a bath."

"I smelt your _shampoop_," he replied innocently and waded a little closer. "Did you sleep well?"

"One: it's pronounced 'shampoo'," she replied. "Yeah I did, but I would have liked to get to sleep a little earlier; I'm exhausted."

InuYasha sighed and pressed his back against the stone walls, behind him and through a thick wall of shrubs, Kagome bathed. He spoke to her casually as she washed her hair and apparently 'shaved her legs' or whatever that meant. There was a sharp 'ow' escaping his woman's mouth and he smelt fresh blood in the air.

"You alright, Kagome?"

"Yeah," she replied and took the bead of blood that oozed from her ankle on the tip of her finger. She quickly disregarded it, rubbing it away on the towel that wrapped her body. "I just cut myself shaving, that's all."

"Clumsy," he snapped. "And how's my favourite monk this morning? He reeked of alcohol: it was practically seeping through the walls."

"He's going to have a very slow morning and I can guess his anger won't have abated when he awakes. Maybe you should lay low for a while, InuYasha?"

He grinned. "Only if you join me."

"Don't be such a cad," she replied with a huff. "And get out of the water before you get wrinkly like a prune."

Suddenly, he grunted, and before Kagome had even a chance to look, he'd used his demon speed to switch baths: so that he was in Kagome's, resting his head onto the cool fabric of the towel that stuck to her thigh.

"I haven't finished bathing yet," he murmured. "Your intrusion distracted me."

"InuYasha," she crinkled her nose in feign disgust. "When was the last time you bathed? You reek of wet dog!"

He snarled in response. "You didn't seem to comment on how I smelt when your lips were goin' down my chest, Kagome."

"Obviously you haven't bathed since!" she teased and slowly reached for the bottle of shampoo; with his head resting against her thigh and his long silver hair glistening with water it would be a perfect opportunity to try something she'd always wanted to do.

"Kag–," he was cut off by her fingers rubbing the crown of his head. A divine but suspicious feeling, and his fears were confirmed when he smelt the same _shampoop_ liquid in his hair that had been in Kagome's. It dripped down the back of his neck as Kagome massaged it through, using her fingernails to dig into his scalp, then into his fringe. InuYasha tipped his head back to watch, and allowed Kagome to do what she wished, a small smile dancing on his lips as his woman leant over to capture them.

Kagome's fingers massaged the foam into his scalp, paying special attention to the base of his ears, which made him jump slight. A rumble escaped from InuYasha's lips as Kagome ran her fingers from the base to the tip of his fuzzy ears.

"Like that?" she whispered saucily.

InuYasha didn't reply and Kagome continued with her ministrations. It would have been to embarrassing to reply to that question: what was he supposed to tell her? That he liked it when she ran her fingers along his ears? That all he wanted to do was pin her to the ground and listen to her say his name over and over again…

No!

He'd waited four fucking years for Kagome; he'd be damned if he let the relationship crumble because he'd let a few sensual thoughts take control of his actions.

But he was enjoying the head massage; the way Kagome sometimes dug in her nails while running her digits down the crown of his head. He'd often let out a soft growl of appreciation subconsciously.

Kagome was completely naked behind him, and he knew it too. The smells that radiated off her body were more defined, not hindered by a few layers of clothes. All she had wrapped around her was a small cotton towel; one, InuYasha thought devilishly, could remove it in a split second should he turn around.

"Rinse," Kagome said and pushed InuYasha's head under the water of the baths.

He arose and rubbed the water from his face and eyes and resisted the urge to shake. No, he thought, that would come later.

His woman began to run a smoother liquid through his hair, one which he didn't really know what it was called, but made his hair feel smoother and look shinier. Kagome shifted, got up from her spot and told InuYasha not to turn. He didn't, obediently, as Kagome pulled on panties and a bra, suddenly conscious of her completely naked state with the half-demon.

When she returned, two legs sat either side of his head, her feet resting in the water. Kagome ran her fingers through the entire length of his hair, and deeming it was fully conditioned, directed him to rinse his head under the water again. When InuYasha surfaced, however, he shook his head vigorously, sending sprays of water in Kagome's direction.

"Eeek!" she cried and shielded herself from the airborne drenching with her forearms. "Don't InuYasha!"

He grinned and planted his lips on the side of her knee.

"You ass, InuYasha!" cried the now sopping wet woman. "I was all dry, too! Is this how you repay me?"

"No," he replied and ran a hot tongue up Kagome's inner thigh, making the girl gasp and freeze. He sensed her sudden rigidness and pulled away, dissatisfied with his idea to continue his way up her thigh with his mouth until…

Fuck.

InuYasha pulled away quickly. "I'm gonna go get my clothes," he muttered and suddenly darted away.

Kagome took that opportunity to scramble for clothes: quickly pulling on the tight-tee, and buckle side of her cream skirt. Her mind, however, couldn't help thinking about where his tongue would have gone next before she'd stiffened. It was obviously that which deterred him; her shock when he provocatively darted his tongue up her leg, a not-so-subtle hint on what he intended to do _to_ her.

And, with that thought, InuYasha came bounding back, noticing the distinct spike in her scent which only stoked the fire to his desire for her. He almost frowned when Kagome smiled at him and offered him her tiny hand.

"Walk me back to the village?"

InuYasha wished he'd heard, "Throw me hard against the nearest tree?" but decided to press down any erotic thoughts he had of his new girlfriend and hooked the hand she offered with his. Apparently it was 'completely natural to have them!' said Kaede when she noticed the lustrous way InuYasha was staring at Kagome's behind in front of Shippou and Sango.

"Not fair," he gritted.

"The gentle approach works, InuYasha," replied Kaede. "Did it not, for my sister?"

"Hm." He replied and took another serving of noodles. He'd try the gentle approach, take the time; he didn't want to scare her off. His topaz eyes flicked back up, where he got the most divine view of the creamy skin on the back of her legs, almost where the curves of her arse began. He stifled a groan.

Gentle approach… Gentle approach… Gentle approach…

She leant over a little more, and a peak of red panties caught InuYasha's eye.

_Fuck me._

* * *

><p>Such is another chapter; I try to upload every 6-7 days, and write about a chapter in advance. This story will be compiled of 6 parts, and often I write small one-shots to fill in the time, or if I get sick of writing the same story. So please, check out my profile and other fics if you get bored. I like to keep the theme of feudal era, and is not very interested in InuYasha AU's…<p>

I would like to mention the reviewers of late, who are kind enough to write a few words of appreciation, **Warm-Amber92****,****3lue****3utterfly**** ,****18LilyChristine926**** ,****Rose-Aki**** ,****ArchAngel-Kagome**** ,****Truwolf, **and **Soleilyhime**

If you liked, please tell me so. Write me a short message when you click 'review!'

Until next time,

~xo. Arlia'Devi


	4. Part Four: Fire

**Mind Games**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights go to Rumiko Takahashi and associates. I make no money from this.

**~Mind Games~**

by Arlia'Devi

**Part Four: Fire**

**It ****had ****been ****a ****lazy ****day; ****a ****week ****since ****InuYasha ****and ****Miroku ****had ****their ****big ****fall-out.** Conveniently, no other marks of intimacy had appeared on InuYasha's neck, because well, it seemed that InuYasha had been avoiding Kagome on the Sunday she'd left for her home, after she'd washed his hair rather… um, _erotically_, in the local baths.

He'd kissed her bare knees, and she'd arched her back even before she'd realised what she was doing. Somewhere in her mind, Kagome became excited when he'd darted his tongue up her leg, urging him to near the throbbing crux of her thighs. But when she'd stiffened, realising her own reaction to his provocative actions, InuYasha had withdrawn and quickly fled.

Since, they hadn't spoken to each other. They had not kissed, hugged or even so much as given each other eye contact.

Maybe today would be different mused Kagome as she ate her breakfast. Souta, beside her, was rambling about something off topic to her mother. Souta was the apple of Mama's eye, it was evident: he was a straight-A student who didn't go rampaging off to the feudal era every Friday. _Souta_ was going to University; _Souta_ had a steady girlfriend, _Souta_ was good at geometry. Good on Souta, Kagome frowned, but could Souta shoot an enchanted arrow from two-hundred yards and hit the target every time? Could Souta walk all over Japan looking for hundreds of shards of the Shikkon jewel? If he did, Kagome grimaced; he probably wouldn't have fallen in love with the man he'd awaken from the sacred tree.

Love? Kagome was in love with InuYasha; she had been since she was fifteen.

Sometimes, she thought he may just love her too. After a certain point he never denied it, he just didn't say it out loud. Considering, Kagome had never said it to him, if he was waiting for that just to say it back…

"What's on your mind Kagome?" asked Grandpa, noticing his daughter's troubles across the table.

"Oh, nothing," she replied with a sigh. "It's just that InuYasha and I haven't really spoken in a week. I left and we… had a little disagreement?"

"Did you get into a big fight?" asked Mama worriedly.

"No," she replied. "We didn't really fight at all. We just need to talk." Kagome finished the last bite of toast before grabbing her backpack by the doorway. "Bye guys, see you Sunday."

"Alright, Kagome dear," her mother waved her off. "Be safe!"

Kagome hauled her backpack full of treats and clothes over the Bone Eater's Well and dropped it through, seeing the blue light engulf her belongings before, in turn, it enveloped her body. Only Shippou was waiting on the other side.

"Kagome!" he called and ran to embrace the woman.

"Shippou!" she cried and hugged the fox tyke. "Were are the others?"

"Sango and Miroku have gone to a village close by; they'll be back tonight, and InuYasha said he didn't want to come."

Oh no, moaned Kagome inwardly. "Is me mad at me, Shippou?"

"I dunno," he shrugged as they walked back to the village. "He's up working on the hut, why don't you go and see him?"

"And what are you going to do?"

"Oh," the fox demon rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about _me,_ Kagome. I'm big enough and strong enough to look after myself."

And then Kagome heard a girlish giggle from behind a hut and Shippou turned with a blush. A young girl, probably around eleven, peeked out from behind the thatched wall of a hut; her cheeks flushed crimson and winked at Shippou. "Alright," muttered Kagome. "I'll be up with InuYasha. Bye Shippou!"

"Uh, yeah," muttered the fox demon as he walked over to the young girl, who had been awaiting him. "Bye Kagome…"

Kagome followed the same path towards InuYasha's home in the making, her white sandals making a ruckus against the rocks she was sure he would have heard. Hopefully, InuYasha didn't flee into the forest upon detecting her; she really needed to talk.

"InuYasha?" Kagome called as she rounded that large flowering bush that grew at the gate to his home.

"Yeah?" he replied with a large piece of wood held effortlessly above his head. InuYasha jumped then, still holding the wood, and balanced himself on the guttering before placing what was evidently a panel to the roof and hammering it down.

"Can we talk?" Kagome fidgeted with her fingers.

InuYasha, in return, caught the spike of nervousness in her scent. "Sure, what about, Kagome?" he fell from the guttering to sit on the patio.

"…I," she gulped. "Sorry for what I did when… when we were at the baths?"

"Why?" he seemed perplexed. "You did nothin' wrong."

"I didn't?" she seemed relieved, and in turn, InuYasha detected another change in her smell: relief. "Oh, I thought I'd done something wrong. You avoided me for so long, all week I thought you were angry!"

"I'm not angry at ya, Kagome," said InuYasha as he leant against the patio to his home. "I… I had stuff I needed to attend to; I was distracted, so sorry if I made ya feel like I was angry at you."

That out of the way, Kagome dared to press into another subject. "… Is Miroku-"

"- Hasn't spoken to me for a week."

"Maybe we should just tell them," muttered Kagome. "They'll find out eventually…"

InuYasha shrugged. "If that's what you want to do, Kagome. Then fine, I can stand the monk's petty ignorance."

Kagome sauntered over to where InuYasha sat on the patio, well, at least he thought it was sauntering. Her hips moved provocatively in her denim shorts, which were modestly hemmed at the mid-thigh. Modestly for her time, reminded InuYasha sourly. Her breasts looked bountiful in the shirt that she wore: a simple pale pink button down t-shirt with crimson roses printed on one shoulder. Kagome moved to sit by him, and sooner than he realised it, she'd slipped her tongue into his mouth and their lips were moving against each other harmoniously.

"Do you know," gasped Kagome as he pushed her onto her back and began to trail hot kisses down the length of her neck. "Shippou. Has," gasp, "a," moan, "girlfriend?"

"Huh?" replied InuYasha as Kagome hitched a leg onto his hip, rubbing her inner thigh sensually against his thigh, receiving a deep growl of appreciation from the hanyou. "A kid from the village?"

"Yeah," Kagome nodded quickly. "Take off your undershirt."

He grinned and soon his white undershirt was tossed to the side, and Kagome stared up at her hanyou with as much desire that was reflected in his eyes. She leant up to capture his lips again, and his hands moved to rub her hips and waist. Soon their tongues were rubbing against each other, fighting for dominance but Kagome always let InuYasha win; sometimes it was fun to let him be in control.

A moan slipped through her lips as he caught her earlobe in his hot mouth. Subconsciously, she pressed the length of her body against his, bucking her hips to grind into his and receiving a carnal, and completely sensual, snarl.

He could sense no other person around; but Kagome's arousal was heavy in the air, it distorted his sense of smell wonderfully, and he was in tune to all the whimpers and moans that escaped her lips as he ravished her. True, InuYasha admitted that there may have been someone else around, but he was much too distracted to really care.

Daringly, his hand travelled to fondle Kagome's breast, wondering if she'd allow such action, deterred by the 'sit boy' he'd most certainly received but at the same time, turned on by her reaction if she happened to like it.

His thumb flicked over her hardened bud which was erect through the thin cotton of her shirt and bra. A full hand massaged her breast slowly, while InuYasha's tongue still worked with hers passionately. A small groan was muffled by his mouth and Kagome arched her back. InuYasha knew he was doing well; both her physical reactions and her hormonal reactions pleased him.

InuYasha ripped his mouth from Kagome's and trailed a line of open mouthed kisses down her neck before his hands flew to fidget with the buttons of her shirt. Each one he popped, he kissed the skin beneath it, a mash of tongue and lips and teeth. He got to her bra and ran his tongue along the rise of her breasts, two hands coming to massage each in the palm of his hands.

"Should we really be doing this in the open?" moaned Kagome as he popped another button and kissed the beginning of her stomach. "Do you," another button and another kiss. "Have a private… place?"

"No one is around," he replied gruffly. That was a lie, he couldn't tell… Kagome's scent was driving him wild.

She moaned his name, but not in the way he would have liked. It was a nervous moan, that she wasn't comfortable continuing out in the open. InuYasha knew he should have finished the main quarters instead of finishing the roof of the foyer today; then at least he'd have somewhere private.

"No one comes up here," he lied again as Kagome squirmed from his grasp. "Kagome," his lips pressed incessantly against the skin of her shoulder blade.

"We'll finish this later," she replied and kissed him softly against the lips. At least that satisfied him for the time being. He could only thank himself for his skills in self control; Kagome didn't know how much she'd affected him when he stood. "It's lunch time; anyway, let's go down to Kaede's."

"I'm not hungry for food," he replied shallowly.

"What?" Kagome was busy doing up her buttons.

"Nothin'," he replied curtly. "Let's see if the monk talks to me…"

Evidently, the monk was still not talking to InuYasha. Kagome tried to diffuse the situation: Miroku would speak to Kagome, he would speak to Sango and Shippou too, but he vehemently rejected to speak to InuYasha. And it was obvious it was getting on the dog-demon's nerves.

"Listen, monk," spat InuYasha when he just couldn't take any more of the monk's cold shoulder. "I dunno what you have against me finding a woman; we had to deal with your womaniser ways when we were lookin' for the Shikkon jewel."

Kagome decided she'd add her two cents when the monk didn't reply. "I've met InuYasha's girlfriend." She felt the dog-demon stiffen beside her. "Yeah, I have. She's really nice, and beautiful."

Miroku's eyes shot up in surprise. "Really?" he replied.

"Yeah," nodded Kagome. "She's a great girl, he's really lucky to have her. She's totally smart," and then Kagome added this part lowly. "She told me that InuYasha thinks she's a complete a vixen in bed."

InuYasha choked on his sake beside Kagome. "What!" he reeled. "She told you that?"

"Yeah," Kagome nodded.

"Huh, well," replied InuYasha, his topaz eyes glittering playfully. Kagome was gonna get it now. "She likes to think she has some power over me, but a quick go and she knows I'm always in control. Fuckin' annoying voice though."

Kagome frowned. "You didn't seem to mind it when she was calling out your name."

"Bitch never calls out my name," snorted InuYasha. "Only to stop," then he attempted to do a very weak impersonation of Kagome's voice. "Oh, there are too many people around, InuYasha… I don't want to, I want to go home. She's completely irrational, one minute she'll be moaning in pleasure and the next she'll be moaning about how you got her clothes dirty in the mud."

Miroku laughed. Sango didn't. In fact, she was rather worried. As was Kaede. And Shippou, well, Shippou didn't really understand.

"What?" Kagome cried. "I… I…" InuYasha smirked; she had no words left. He'd won. But oh, Kagome always had a word left. Two, at that. In a hot fluster, she said them. "S-Sit, boy!"

Then Kagome stormed out of the hut, dropping her contents of rice onto InuYasha's pounding head.

"Wow," Shippou muttered. "I've never seen Kagome that angry."

"Well," replied Sango nervously. "InuYasha _did_ deserve it."

"What the fuck, Sango?" snarled InuYasha as he rubbed his throbbing head. Damn those prayer beads. Where did Kagome go anyway? He had the right mind to throw her up against the wall and show her who was _really_ boss. At least then, he mused, she really would scream out his name. "Who's side are you on, anyway?"

"It's not about sides, InuYasha," explained Shippou patronisingly. "It's about who's right and who's wrong, and you were pretty rude to Kagome just then. No wonder she sat you."

InuYasha scoffed. "This coming from a kid who's only just got a girlfriend. Please, spare me."

"You have a girlfriend, Shippou?" asked Miroku.

"Ah," the fox demon looked around sheepishly. "No! Geez InuYasha, shut it!"

"Me? Shut it?" he screeched and thumped the fox tyke over the head. "You shut it!" He rose to his feet then and peeked out the bamboo door of Kaede's hut.

"Going to find Kagome?" asked Miroku.

"Nah," he replied absentmindedly, not noting that it seemed that the monk was speaking to him again. He could smell her anger in the air: she wasn't too far away. "I'll only get my ass sat to the last layer of hell. Better if I just let her cool off."

Sango said, later in the afternoon, that she'd seen Kagome climbing out of the well. She'd gone home? InuYasha frowned. He'd got her that angry that she'd actually gone home for a while? He knew he'd pissed her off, hell, they'd pissed each other off, but enough for her to go home?

"Where's she now?" InuYasha asked. Not that it mattered if Sango told him or not; he'd sniff her out easily enough…

"Down by the river, I think," replied Sango.

Kagome's scent led him to the river, where she was sitting on the banks reading a book. Her backpack was propped behind her head and her entire body was covered in a warm vermillion glow from the sunset behind. She didn't hear him approach, and it was a good thing she didn't, either. All that would arise would be a sitting to hell. But as InuYasha got closer, he smelt something else: salt and water: tears. She'd been crying.

He straightened up and walked out of the foliage. Her human hearing didn't hear the slight rustles of his body moving through the shrubs, or of his feet crunching the debris on the forest floor. Kagome didn't hear InuYasha until he was right beside her, his demon speed used to his advantage to sneak up on the human girl. "Kagome…"

She jumped from her position by the river, dropping the book into her lap. Her mouth opened to cry 'sit!" to the highest heavens, but InuYasha rushed forward and quickly covered her mouth with a hand. In response she bit down on his fingers. Hard.

"Listen, Kagome, I'm sorry," he muttered. His hand remained in front of her mouth, even if his pinkie was getting crushed between her jaws. "I shouldn't have said that… I-I respect you and your decisions." He dipped his head lower then, as if ashamed. "I-I don't want to break the trust you have in me because I said somethin' I didn't mean."

Kagome peeled his fingers away from his mouth. "I trust you but I was hurt by what you said about me… What do you want, InuYasha?"

He knelt beside her and began to kneed her hands within his. Topaz eyes glimmered from under lashes. "I want you, Kagome."

She scoffed. "Well sometimes it just doesn't seem enough."

InuYasha brought her palm to his lips. "I need you, Kagome. I want _you_. I can't help it anymore." A quick tug and she was in his arms; pressed against his chest. "I can't stop thinking about you… You're the only one I ever want. I want you; fuck, I've wanted you since the day we met." He moved to press his lips to her temple, then down her hairline, across her cheek, until they pressed against the corner of her twitching lip. Kagome shifted in his arms to capture his soft lips. A hand came to stroke the soft skin of his cheek.

"I want you, too." Then she laughed softly. "I must be stupid to be letting you off the hook so easily."

"You're not stupid," he replied with a soft kiss to the forehead. "You're just in love with me."

Kagome froze. He smiled against her hairline. "Aren't you?" he kissed her lips softly, almost coaxing the words out of her mouth. "It's alright to say it; I'm in love with you, too."

She sighed and fell into his embrace. "I love you," she hushed against his lips. "I really do."

"I'm sorry for what I said."

"You're forgiven," she replied and snuggled into InuYasha's shoulder. "I should say sorry, also… I said stuff I shouldn't have."

Later, InuYasha couldn't tell how long they'd sat in embrace by the river. All he noticed were the slight movements of Kagome's body against his, and the things she was whispering to him; funny stories which she felt the laugh vibrate through his chest; anecdotes of her family and secrets about Miroku and Sango. Eventually, he turned to kiss her, his tongue asking meekly for entrance. Kagome let him explore her mouth, feeling the kiss turn feverish when she responded to his touches.

Soon, Kagome was pressed against the ground, InuYasha's fire-rat robe separating her from the grass below as he began to ravish her body once again. His hot lips moved down her throat, and suddenly a devilish thought crept into his mind…

At the nape of her neck, InuYasha pulled back his lips to bare sharp fangs and raked them over the surface of her delicate human skin.

"I'm gonna have to punish you, Kagome," he whispered huskily in the shell of her ear. His mouth caught her earlobe and dragged it down with his teeth.

"What for?" Kagome gasped.

"You thought you'd gotten out of it," he growled. "That fuckin' love bite you gave me."

"Oh yeah," she giggled. "That was funny."

"It's because of you that Miroku is so pissed off at me," reminded the hanyou sourly.

Kagome pulled open his white undershirt and tossed it to the side. The mark had all but healed by now, and she ran a single finger down the middle of InuYasha's chest and gut. "I thought you liked it…" she whispered saucily. "And I can't help it if you don't cover up."

Suddenly, she was pressed against the ground, her hands snatched and pinned either side of her head. InuYasha grinned demonically as she struggled against his grip. Tenderly, he lowered his head to kiss the soft skin of her neck, feeling her heaving chest press against his own. Breaths were hitched within her throat, and her gasps came out rough.

"Let my hands go," she breathed. "InuYasha…"

He snarled in response and nipped the skin of her neck in reprimand. "You didn't even let me do it back to ya…"

"Is that what's this about?" InuYasha's hand caught her knee and hitched her leg over his hip.

"I'm gonna get you back, Kagome," he growled. "It might not be now… it might not be tomorrow, but one day when you least expect it. Public. Humiliation.

"Well," she giggled and rolled her hips purposefully against him. "I was going to say, if this is my punishment now, then it's pretty damn good. I'll have to be bad more often." Her eyes looked up from under her lashes, and Kagome suddenly bucked her hips, earning a stifled moan when she rubbed up against something prominent within his hakama. "Do you like it when I'm naughty, InuYasha?"

"Depends how naughty you can get."

"Oh I assure you," whispered the woman saucily, struggling against his grip. "I can get _very_ naughty. Let me go and I may just show you…"

InuYasha laughed softly and freed Kagome's hands, allowing her to bury them in his hair before moving to capture her lips softly. Her body was hot and reacting to his in just the way that drove the hanyou crazy. Kagome's scent was laden in the air; once again, he couldn't get past her. It was as if there was no one else around, the two were in their own world when they were together. A single thought didn't cross his mind that such a blanket of arousal around her could possibly be a bad thing, but it was getting dark and they were a long way from the village…

But he was too worried in the issue of tugging off Kagome's shirt to reveal more milky skin to work with. His hands had already delved underneath to cup softly, breasts which were frustratingly, still covered in more scarlet fabric.

Kagome's legs had intertwined his, and her body rolled and bucked to his touch, whether it is his claws raking softly over the smooth skin of her stomach, or to travel up her legs and tickle the skin she hid underneath her skirt.

"InuYasha," she gasped his name as a hand came to stroke softly his tender dog ears, of which she received a throaty growl. The hanyou's touch was delicate and purposely slow, wanting to relish the feelings he was receiving. And god did he love it when Kagome moaned his name in satisfaction. She did again when he tweaked her nipple, erect through the thin cotton of the shirt and moaned into his mouth.

Kagome knew she could feel her heart racing, evoked by his touch. She knew that also, he would be able to smell how much she truly wanted him, and that that factor spurred on his movements and encouraged him innumerably so.

Kagome's shirt was pulled off and deposited by their bodies, which followed soon by her scarlet lace bra, of which InuYasha chuckled, "_Naughty_." Both hands took her breasts softly, and as he traced gentle kisses down her neck and collarbone, the pads of his thumbs massaged her nipples. As his mouth moved to her chest, InuYasha took up a nipple to suckle in his hot mouth, earning a loud moan from his woman and an arch in her back as she dug her fingernails into the base of his skull. His tongue rolled over the most sensitive part of her chest, suckling softly and massaging her other breast in the palms of his hand. Kagome took air in short, laboured breaths: this pleasure was divine.

InuYasha continued to kiss lower, down her lean stomach and the smooth skin of her navel, hitching Kagome's legs so that they encircled his waist as he continued lower…

He dropped her skirt, now unfastened and yanked off, into the pile of accumulated clothes. Now she was lying beneath him in only minimal panties, a sight which drove him wild with desire. His mouth pressed to the top hem of Kagome's lace panties, then to the inside of her thigh, a reminder of what he'd done by the baths.

Then suddenly, Kagome registered in the last part of her brain, that for some reason was still alert, that something was wrong. Deep in her mind, something twinged and she used all her might to push off InuYasha's wandering claws from her breasts and untangle her legs from around his body. But she couldn't discern… what was so wrong?

"InuYasha," she pushed his lips away from her knee as she attempted to scramble away. "Something's wrong."

"Hm?" he muttered drowsily as his hands, rejected from her chest, went to run up and down smooth thighs. "What is it Kagome?"

"I… I don't know."

"Nothing's wrong," he hummed, getting a horrible sense of déjà vu. He pressed a small white lie into her mouth as his tongue delved in again. "I'd sense if something was coming."

And then suddenly, she realised it. "Something is coming…! Don't you feel it?"

InuYasha, with great might and will-power, lifted his head up to sniff the air. It was laced in Kagome's scent, her heavy arousal and only made mouth water. Then, however, upon a few more sniffs, there was something much different in the air: a scent distinctly earthy and primal. He'd smelt it before…

"Put your clothes back on, Kagome," he muttered irritably when he wracked his memory and identified the cause of the smell. Quickly, the girl scrambled for her clothes as InuYasha pulled on his undershirt. "And stay there."

InuYasha cracked his claws as the scent drew nearer. Kagome had fastened her skirt loosely around her hips with shaking fingers. When she was dressed to the best of her flustered ability, Kagome walked towards where InuYasha stood with wobbling legs. She touched his arm gently, before he wrapped it around her waist and pushed her to stand behind him.

"Oi!" an all too familiar voice called out. Suddenly a tornado entered the clearing, and when it abated, was the distinct face of Koga. "Mutt-face. What up?" and then he smiled slyly. "Kagome…"

"Fuck off Koga," growled the hanyou in reply.

"I thought that was your lovely scent I detected, Kagome," muttered the wolf demon fondly and began to walk towards the girl, protected by InuYasha. "But… I had to make sure; I haven't seen you around in years…"

"You've made sure," growled InuYasha. "Now leave."

Koga sniffed the air. "What have you been doin' here? Kagome's scent is…" He frowned as he registered the distinct type of the scent emitted. Now that he was closer, he was almost sure. Kagome sunk of arousal, and so did the mutt-face. Had they? "Mutt-face, she's my woman!"

"Your woman my ass," he snarled in reply and cracked his fingers.

"You'd better not have gone and done what I think you've done, you disgusting dog," Koga growled. "She's _mine_."

"Koga," called Kagome, trying to diffuse the situation. "No one's done anything."

Suddenly Koga was by Kagome's side, and a hand grasped roughly at her arm. The wolf prince took a long, drawn out sniff of Kagome and she shuddered. InuYasha was watching intently, his eyes flashing in anger and his thumb popping Tetsuisga out of it's sheath.

"You better step the hell away from Kagome, Koga," he growled. "Before I hack you to pieces."

Kagome, attempting to use her womanly charm on Koga, batted her eyelashes. "I'm fine – now, it's nice to see you too, but don't you think that a nicer greeting would have been in order? We haven't seen each other in three years."

Koga, who, was satisfied that Kagome was still his woman, dropped her arm and bared his fangs at InuYasha. The hanyou snarled ferociously in response.

"She's not your woman," growled the hanyou. This statement didn't seem to faze Koga as he walked casually across the field, that was, until Kagome muttered, "InuYasha," in a reprimanded way.

"She's not _your_ woman, mutt-face," replied Koga confidently. "Right Kagome?"

Kagome, who had now been put in a horrible position, deliberated her options: lie and hurt the one man she loved beyond possible repair, or tell the truth and provoke a heated fight between the two men. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. And InuYasha watched her expectantly, as if she was supposed to admit it all out loud and for the world to see – confirm that she was his.

"I…," she muttered and nibbled on her bottom lip. Koga frowned in her hesitation, and his eyes darted toward the hanyou heatedly. "… I am, Koga. I am InuYasha's – I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

Koga's eyes darted away, and then to Kagome's and then to InuYasha's, as if he was desperately searching for an answer between the two. He nibbled at his bottom lip and his brow puckered. "Mutt-face," he eventually growled lowly and suddenly InuYasha snarled and cracked his claws, preparing for an attack. "You're gonna die."

"No!" Kagome ran forward, desperate to stop the fighting between the two males. "Please stop."

"Stay back, Kagome, I'm gonna slay this prick once and for all." The tetsuisga transformed and InuYasha wielded the formidable weapon towards the wolf prince. Koga, in reply, sharpened his claws and reeled for an attack.

"Good luck, you're as sluggish as ever," laughed the wolf. Koga suddenly leapt to attack. A 'twang' echoed through the clearing as Koga's fist hit the tetsuisga, before a bolt of lightening emitted from the demon's physical touch sent him flying into the nearest tree.

"No!" Kagome ran in front of InuYasha, her arms spread out. "Please, don't fight. I can't bear it to see you two get hurt."

"I ain't gonna get hurt," he replied and tried to step around her which was to no avail. A twang of jealously stabbed at his heart – Koga was competition, and competition needed to be eliminated. "Koga will but, – anyways, why are ya _still_ protecting him, Kagome?"

"I'm sick of all this bloodshed – too many people are dying, and I can't stand any more of it," she cried. "Please, sheath your sword!"

InuYasha slackened his grip, letting the tip of the sword dig into the ground – Kagome was in direct line of his attacks, InuYasha realised he'd been pointing the sword at her.

"Koga is my friend; please don't hurt him. He just needs to be set straight."

InuYasha considered this for a moment; he remembered the red-head wolf princess Ayame – the woman he was supposed to marry before he'd met Kagome. What did Koga know about love anyway? Kagome was supposed to be InuYasha's, and she knew that there was no one else but him. Hell, it had been that way since the beginning – although a little rocky at first. Kagome knew all his secrets, dirty and clean, she was the woman he wanted to take as a mate, not caring if she was demon, human, or hell, an alien from the moon she'd told him about once – but loving her so completely and utterly that he wasn't gonna let no pansy ass wolf demon take it away from her with his pathetic, unintelligent announcements of his '_love__'_.

Besides, a wolf den was no place for Kagome to live. It reeked of carcasses and the mangy wolf pets they desired to keep. And without proper protection, who knew what other wolfs would want to indulge on her? Fuck Koga.

Tetsusaiga transformed into its rusty sword disguise and InuYasha sighed. "Fine," he grunted and Kagome, thrilled with her victory, ran forward to embrace him.

And then it was all a blur from there: a blur of piercing screams, of Kagome's head hitting the ground hard and the image of masses upon masses of blood.

* * *

><p>I would like to pay thanks to the reviewers, by briefly mentioning their names in the coveted "Hall of Fame" (opinions vary):<p>

**cheatcakes, yaoi-fan107, 3lue 3utterfly ,Adam, LovesDepp , Cougiecat , Nyxx96 , Kyoyama Daphne** , and of course, **Warm-Amber92** .

I don't think I need to say anything after the ending of this chapter. Stay tuned for the next instalment…

~ Arlia'Devi.


	5. Part Five: Blood

**Mind Games**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights go to Rumiko Takahashi and associates. I make no money from this.

**~Mind Games~**

by Arlia'Devi

**Part Five: Blood**

**Miroku ****and ****Sango ****had ****heard ****screaming ****from ****the ****forest** – they'd gathered their weapons without worrying to change and Shippou waited expectantly at Kaede's hut. It was late, and InuYasha and Kagome hadn't returned yet – it was an understatement to say that they were worried, especially when, upon entering the forest, Miroku sensed the influence of a very powerful demon.

Sango ran forward, before leaping onto Kirara's back to get a bird's-eye view of the forest map. There was a clearing up ahead, and she linked arms with Miroku to swing his body behind her on the flying twin-tail.

"The demonic aura is getting stronger," Miroku exclaimed as Kirara neared the clearing

"You stupid fucking mutt!" a distinct voice echoed. Miroku recognised it immediately, matching it with the foreign demonic aura.

"Koga," Sango muttered gravely as Kirara landed on the soft grass of the clearing, suddenly arching back and baring her fangs.

"Koga, where are InuYasha and Kagome?" Miroku scowled, it was hard to see – but he could see Koga where the moonlight touched the side of his scowling face. At his feet was a crumpled form, Miroku realised was InuYasha crouching as if he was doubling over in pain. The hanyou was only in his undershirt, the protective fibres of his fire-rat haori no where to be seen.

"Where is Kagome?" Sango cried, grasping her weapon and stepping forward menacingly. "And you had better not have hurt InuYasha."

Familiar scents hit his sensitive nose, those the inu youkai recognised of his human friends. "Miroku!" InuYasha suddenly called mournfully, looking as if he was clutching his wounded side. "Get the first aid kit. Now! Sango, t-take…"

Sango ran to her friend then – Kagome was no where in sight but InuYasha was evidently wounded. The instinct to protect the man she classed as a brother overran the fear of taking on Koga, who was menacing looming rigid over InuYasha's body by herself: a demon against a battle which she could never win. Something which did not escape the slayer's eyes, however, was the fresh blood dripping off the wolf prince's right claw.

"Back down Koga," said Sango sternly, wedging her body between the hanyou and Koga. "I don't know why you're back here, and I don't really care – but you can't get much pride killing InuYasha like this." She almost growled out the last warning when Koga didn't budge. "Back _off_."

"No, Sango," InuYasha grasped her hand and yanked it down. "Kirara, come here!" The two-tai purred and sprinted towards the hanyou.

Sango was forced to crouch over; and locked eyes with InuYasha, of which were pooled with such a degree of sorrow and misery it made her heart wrench – surely such injuries weren't that serious, InuYasha had taken on much stronger demons than Koga and lived to tell the tale. Suddenly, Sango spied the crumpled body in InuYasha's arms, and the gash in her shoulder that was bleeding profusely.

"Kagome," Sango choked and her hands went to hold her friend, when InuYasha snarled.

Her clothing was dishevelled, torn and stained with her own blood. In haste, it seemed, InuYasha had wrapped his haori around Kagome's body and a claw placed pressure on her wound, letting the robe soak up most of the blood. But Kagome seemed calm, if it wasn't for the sweat that encased her brow, and her heavy panting, Sango could have sworn she was dead. Kagome's had grasped InuYasha's tightly, and she squeezed it to let him know she was still there.

"She just popped up!" Koga fought to defend himself, although the evidence of such brutality dripped off of his own fingers. "I swear… I would have never harmed Kagome.."

"Save it you mangy fucking wolf," snarled the hanyou. Sango winced; she was sure that if Tetsusaiga had not been at InuYasha's side, red would have flooded his eyes and he would have made quick work of Koga right then and there. She had seen enough demons fight for their mates to know how, most often than not, the situation ended for the opponent. This thought was strengthened when InuYasha snarled. "You better fuckin' pray that Kagome lives, 'cause if she doesn't or if find a single fuckin' scar from your disgusting hand, I'm comin' to gut you and your entire clan. You better go into hidin' and pray that I don't fuckin' find you for the rest of your miserable life."

"Let me take her back to Kaede's," Sango said levelly. The demon slayer knew enough about demons to know how strong the bonds and devotion were between mates; if he were not InuYasha, she would have been seriously injured trying to even attempt to touch an injured mate. Sango also knew, however, the detestation which would befall Koga now, having laid a hand on Kagome.

"You know it's the right decision – Kagome will be alright." That didn't work, InuYasha clutched his mate tighter and growled. "You've done the right thing," muttered Sango. "Human's going into shock can kill them, even when the injury isn't serious – Kagome's body has had time to calm, and her injury isn't life threatening. You wrapped her up, kept her warm and stopped the bleeding. Now let me clean it up and let her rest," and then when InuYasha's eyes softened and his grip loosened slightly, Sango added daringly. "Besides, you have unfinished business with Koga, don't you?"

* * *

><p>It was morning. InuYasha hadn't been seen since midnight. Sango hadn't had any sleep since Kagome's wound had been properly cleaned and dressed, and had stayed up all night watching over her friend and awaiting the hanyou to walk through the door.<p>

But he hadn't, and Kagome hadn't stirred from her bed by the fire. Every now and then, whimpers of pain would escape from her lips and she shifted in her sleep: prolonged by healing incense which burning by her bedside. The gash wasn't too serious; at least that was what she'd told InuYasha. In all truth, Koga's claws had carved up her shoulder into horribly gruesome streaks of skin and flesh. Kaede had done her best to stitch up the wound, and said it was only a shame InuYasha had not bitten Kagome beforehand; the blood bond of her mate would do much to speed up the healing process. Kagome, however, would be bedridden for weeks. The only solace she got was sleeping, in which they prayed she couldn't feel pain.

"Still not here?" asked Miroku as he stumbled out of the boys' quarters.

Sango shook her head. "I'm worried."

"I know," he nodded and pressed his lips against the demon-slayers temple. "But we can only do what we can. Did she sleep through the night?"

Sango nodded as Miroku put water on to boil. "I hope her last meal was a sustainable one."

Kaede was up now, and began to boil herbs and check over Kagome's bandages. "Make her camomile tea," she ordered the monk. "The incense has died out, Kagome will wake soon, of which she shall drink the tea and we will burn another stick."

Miroku watched the water boil in the cauldron. "How could this have happened?" he muttered to himself more than anyone's else. "And by who's hand did inflict the wound, Sango? InuYasha and Koga?"

"Koga!" she replied with a screech as Kaede worked carefully redressing Kagome's shoulder. Sango almost gagged from the mutilation and rawness of the injury- how could Miroku think such a thing would be at the hands of the hanyou? "Of course it was Koga, Miroku. InuYasha would never harm Kagome, and you know it."

Suddenly, the bamboo door to Kaede's hut flew open and in stumbled a stinking, filthy and very much irritable InuYasha. His clothes and hair were ragged, and his cheeks had streaks of blood caked with mud – whether it was his blood, Kagome's or Koga's, no one could tell. His frenzied topaz eyes spied the woman lying by the fire with her shoulder bandaged and he growled lowly. "Get out," he snapped.

"What?" murmured Miroku and shot up. "InuYasha where have you –."

"Get out!" he snarled and a bloodied claw pointed to the doorway. Without another word, Kaede, Miroku and Sango scampered out, leaving the hanyou alone with his wounded mate.

For a moment, he sat beside her, just looking. It was as if he was assessing the damage with his eyes, making judgements – her face was pale and wearied, there were dark circles under her eyes, and her lips were chapped and pale. A purple bruise crept from under her bandages and across her collarbone. InuYasha couldn't bear to see the wound that would so scar her delicate skin – Kaede had redressed it adequately, anyway. Suddenly he snarled and turned around; the old priestess stood beside him with a cup of steaming tea.

"Add a drop of your blood to the tea, InuYasha," she ordered in a crackling voice. InuYasha took a dirty claw and ran it across the fingertip of the opposite index, drawing a drop of blood and letting it fall into the cup. "It will help with the healing – a little more and she won't scar."

"How much more?" he asked in a desperate rasp.

"Little by little," she smiled softly and placed the teacup by his feet. "She will stir soon; ye will give her this to drink?"

InuYasha nodded dumbly and took up position to wait. Kaede shuffled back outside, but not before turning her head and saying, "Ye should reconsider, inviting the others back in – they care and worry about Kagome as you do. Sango did not sleep."

InuYasha nodded solemnly. In his anger and worry, he'd acted brashly. It felt as if the demon within him rose and took control; he couldn't help it, it was instinct to protect his mate even from those who meant well. But Kagome had been taken care of, perhaps more adequately and quicker than he could have cared for her. He was inwardly grateful for the aid of Miroku and Sango, and suddenly felt guilty for the way he'd spoken to his friends – but they understood. InuYasha cared for Kagome, it was his instinct and responsibility to protect her.

Miroku bowed in courtesy when he entered the hut again, and took up his usual position by the door. Sango rested on her knees by Miroku and was the only one who dared to speak.

"You should eat."

"No," InuYasha replied with a snap, his eyes not wavering from Kagome.

"Kagome will be fine."

"She doesn't look fucking _fine_." Sango winced at his cursing although, she rationalised, at least he had an excuse. Sango would have been just the same if Miroku had been seriously injured; and vise-versa. Kagome, however, was saintly calm whenever treating wounds – she had that healer's quality. It was shocking to see, therefore, her body bruised and battered lying on the floor. The roles had reversed in some sick sort of universe.

"You know you'll only worry her if you don't eat," Sango persuaded him softly, making sure not to cause an argument or anger the hanyou. "She still could be out for hours, yet."

"I won't eat," he growled and Miroku pressed a hand to Sango's shoulder, urging her not to pursue the matter further.

After a while, when Shippou rose, muttered his good mornings to Kagome and the gang, kissed the girl from the future on the head gently and then left, Miroku dared to speak. The entire hut seemed to work and wait in silence, awaiting the moment the girl's eyes would flutter open. Not one for lengthy silences, Miroku began to talk. And when he did, it was so daring that he felt Sango stiffen beside him.

"What were you and Kagome doing out in the woods, anyway?" he asked gently.

"Pah, I think you can come up with _that_ all by yourself monk!" replied the hanyou with a snap and even in a dire situation such as this, an amused smirk could not help but grace the monk's boyish features.

"How did it happen, if you don't mind me asking?"

InuYasha didn't speak for a moment, and seemed to be oblivious to the expectant stares of the group before him. "Koga came; he smelt Kagome. I was prepared to kill him then and there, but Kagome got between us and I lowered by sword… I was gonna let him off. All of a sudden, she fell to the ground and Koga was covered in her blood."

"Is he dead?" asked Sango fearfully. InuYasha didn't reply. Instead, his ears swivelled to pick up the faintest whimper that escaped though his lover's lips.

"Inu…"

He leant down to the girl's dry lips instantly, picking up sounds only audible to him.

"Yasha."

"Kagome," he sighed as her eyes cracked open. "Kagome, Kagome, Kagome," her name slipped through his lips in relief-filled sighs as his claws raked down his cheeks, leaving small red marks in his wake. InuYasha leant forward again, getting down on all fours beside her mat in order to listen properly.

"Listen," she croaked softly, attempting to move.

"Don't move, Kagome!" Sango cried, but InuYasha pressed a firm hand to her gut before she settled into bed again.

"InuYasha, listen," she muttered. "You need to see Mama and tell her to call work… tell 'em I'm gonna be off for a few days."

He growled and his amber eyes flashed in annoyance. "Wench, you almost got impaled by Koga's claws and you're wantin' me to go and tell ya mother to get you off work? No fuckin' way."

"… I'll lose my job," she muttered in a weak rebuttal.

"I don't fuckin' care," InuYasha snarled. "You almost fuckin' died; I can't believe you're sayin' this to me Kagome."

She laughed softly and her eyes wandered to where the demon-slayer and the monk sat, propped against the hut wall. "Hey..."

"How are you feeling?" asked Sango, moving forward to push a strand of mud-laced hair out of the girl's face.

"I'm a little sore – how bad is it," she looked up to InuYasha, then to Sango. "Please, don't lie to me."

InuYasha hadn't actually seen the wound, and he didn't particularly want to – it would drive him insane with anger, to know his mate had been hurt so and he hadn't been able to protect her adequately. Fuck, he already felt bad enough.

"It's pretty bad," muttered Sango. "But Kaede and I did all we could to prepare it for healing. You have to rest, now."

"Kagome," Kaede shuffled to the girl's side, taking up a cup of steaming tea infused with the hanyou's blood. "You have to drink this. At least a sip, it will help."

Kagome shuffled to move, but found it too painful to even move one shoulder let alone another. She whimpered in protest, and suddenly the china lip of the cup was at her mouth. InuYasha ignored the looks he was receiving from Miroku and Sango, surprised looks, although they really shouldn't have been surprised. She was his mate, and he was hers, at least, in everything but name. But he would have that cleared up too, if he'd at least gotten a chance to actually mate with her – that thought was cast aside as he realised his anger for Koga was steadily building up again. Kagome drank in slow gulps, suddenly devouring the tea and licking the edge cup for more. When she asked what was in that tea, InuYasha perked up – her appetite for his blood turned him on. She wanted more, much more of a sweetness she did know and had never tasted before, a sort of spicy honey, and primal.

Kaede began to burn healing incense and Kagome knew she didn't have much time until she succumbed to the sweet-smelling slumber fragrance.

"Did you kill Koga?" Kagome asked quickly, worry flashing across her eyes. She'd never be able to look at the wolf prince the same way, but that didn't mean she wanted him dead. It had been a mistake, and perhaps Kagome had been stupid to get between the boys in a way that she had. Her eyes searched his eyes frantically, seeking out the answer.

InuYasha leant down and pressed his lips softly to the girl's cold forehead. "I couldn't cause him as much pain as he has to you – the wolf got away."

Kagome sighed in relief, and suddenly realised what had just happened – in public. The incense was taking its effect, too, and her voice began to sound distant and blurred, as if she was listening to herself talk underwater. "… They know?"

"We do now," grinned Miroku, and InuYasha glared. "I think applause is needed, actually, your little show the past two weeks had me very convinced."

"You told them?" yawned Kagome.

InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, I'm _fuckin__'_ sick of playin' games, Kagome."

And that was all Kagome heard for a while – the next few days of her life were blurs of long periods of blackness, the sweet smell of the healing incense and Kaede's addicting camomile tea, which Kagome wanted more with each cup. InuYasha did not leave Kagome's side, although he was beginning to eat. Dogs were loyal, and she supposed, it was the same for dog youkai – InuYasha had been loyal to Kikyo even when she'd killed him, when she was brought back from the dead cruelly until she finally found peace. Kagome was appreciative of his devotion, and day-by-day, Kagome grew stronger.

Four days later, Kagome had become strong enough to speak regularly, and held conversations with Shippou. InuYasha asked permission to bathe and eat, and Kagome granted it, commenting on how his pongy body odour only inhibited her ability to properly heal. Shippou stayed with her, putting on shows with his fox magic in Kaede's hut, and setting a part of the roof on fire. Kagome appreciated it, especially when Sango spoke, to which InuYasha gave the girl's privacy. Of course, his version of privacy and Kagome's were entirely different and InuYasha sat just outside the hut door, in perfect earshot of their conversation but not physically in the room. Such were the basis for the introduction of code words into their conversations, so even when InuYasha was listening, he had no clue what rubbish they were really talking about.

Eventually however, the same roof became tedious to look at. Kagome cursed how stupid she'd been – if InuYasha had taken the attack instead of her, he would have walked away half-healed. Instead, Kagome was bedridden for who knew how long – she hadn't even had the guts to look at the wound yet, and changing the bandages was hell. There was limited pain relief in the feudal era – Kagome realised. What she would do for a shot of morphine.

And what would she do for a bath – five days without washing, she felt disgraceful. Her hair was greasy and stunk, skin was full of oils and toxins and the hairs on her legs, she realised were probably as long as those on her head. When was the last time she'd shaved them? One, two weeks ago?

Kagome, daring to try her luck when her and InuYasha were alone once again, spoke up. "InuYasha?"

"Hm?" his eyes were dreamily far away, but snapped back to attention upon his name.

"I need a bath."

"You do," he replied, not seeming to think any more of it.

"Will you help me down to the springs?"

He frowned. "You should ask Sango or Kaede to give you one inside later. You're not well enough to be moving."

"Please," she begged. "I need a bath, and I can't stand lying here any longer." Then Kagome decided to play a wicked game she knew would work every time hands-down. "I trust you to help me with this… a-and you're the only one strong enough to do it, and protect me at the same time. Sango… well, what if we ran into Koga again – she couldn't fight him off like you would be able to. And I _really_ want a bath, InuYasha. Please."

He seemed to deliberate with himself for a moment; not wanting to risk hurting Kagome, but at the same time, desiring to give her what she wanted. And god knew she needed a bath, if not for her then for the wound – how could it stave off infection when her entire body hadn't been cleaned for almost a week. Kagome was getting uncomfortable, as well; the acidity in her urine began to burn her lower regions, accumulating from not being washed out. He could smell it on her. If it continued, she would surely get an infection.

InuYasha, without a word, moved to grasp some healing salts from Kaede's stocks, then into Kagome's bag to find clean clothes, fresh bandages and a towel. He also grabbed a small black cosmetics case, when asked by the girl. "I ain't gonna get in trouble for movin' ya from the old bird," he growled and carefully positioned his arm under Kagome's neck, paying special attention to support her wounded shoulder. A thin blanket from the hut gave Kagome some sort of modesty – she had been shirtless, the bandages wrapping around her breasts and over her shoulder.

Kagome slid into the hanyou's arms with a slight hiss; it was less painful than she thought it would have been, and he gathered the stocks for Kagome to hold on her gut while they travelled.

"Thank you," Kagome smiled as they travelled through the village. Kagome tried not to catch eyes with any of the villagers which stared, and a low growl which vibrated through his chest told them to back off.

"Huh," he replied, as if this was all one horribly arduous task he was going out of his way to do for her. "Yeah well, I told ya I ain't gonna get in trouble if they notice ya gone."

He sat Kagome gently on the smooth rocky edge of a small bath, and his body supported her as she began to unfasten the hooks of her skirt – the same of which she'd been wearing since the night of Koga. It was grass-stained, torn slightly from InuYasha's frantic claws, and splattered with blood.

"You should throw it out," InuYasha muttered and pulled away the skirt, revealing the very same panties he'd seen on Kagome that fateful night.

"I think I'll throw away everything from that night," she sighed and her hand went to unwrap the bandages of her shoulder. Her fingers lingered over the clasp, hesitating.

InuYasha realised the hesitation and his own claw moved to unclasp the clip. "It needs to come off," he whispered tenderly and began to unwind the bandages around her chests. "It has to be changed."

"I haven't…," she winced when the cotton brushed against the wound. "S-Seen it yet. I've been too scared."

Suddenly, the bandages were off and dropped to the floor. A cold breeze ran across the sensitive and uneven flesh of Kagome's shoulder, and she turned her head rigidly to gaze at the wound. It was if her shoulder had been carved up like a roast dinner; Koga's claws could be clearly seen in the even slices across the chest, shoulder and back, which Kagome grimaced, would have sprayed off in ribbons of bleeding flesh. Kagome suppressed a gag and InuYasha's hands flew to steady her heaving body, allowing Kagome to spit into the dirt when nothing came up to vomit. In truth, even to InuYasha, who had had worse injuries that she, the sight had caused his stomach to churn slightly.

"Kaede's done well to stitch it back up," InuYasha muttered softly. A single clawed digit moved to trace gently down the lower wounded arm. "Now, how about that bath?"

Kagome grinned and was astounded with how much she actually trusted the hanyou to take care of her – sure, she'd always said she trusted him with her life, but now, when it had really been her life hanging in the balance; she trusted him fully to care for her. InuYasha was there for support, both physically as he held her neck and lower back in the water, and mentally through all those hours of nothingness by her bedside. He would be good to her, in the excellent times and the dismal, the way he carefully washed her sides, not being over zealous or lecherous, meant more to Kagome than he knew.

Salts had been sprinkled into the water, which would help purifying the wound and helping it heal, as well as cleanse the body of built up toxins. Not once did InuYasha take the liberty to gaze at Kagome's body unclothed; although he did note previously how beautiful she was in such a state. His hands washed with what Kagome called 'soup'… or 'soop', or something, a square block of wax that he'd gotten out of her toiletry bag and a pink fluffy skin, which Kagome told him would 'exfoliate the dead skin off her skin'. So he lathered the pink puff up and washed her down, paying special attention to stay away from her wound, but at the same time making sure to give her a good scrub.

Kagome took the liberty to wash other parts of herself, particularly between her legs, she didn't give InuYasha access. The hanyou, however, began spilling handfuls onto her hair, and began washing her strands the same way she had to him.

"Déjà vu," replied the hanyou as the shampoo bubbled in her scalp. Suddenly, his lips moved to press against her cheek. Then, in the same rhythm as he massaged her skull with the tips of his fingers, he trailed soft kisses down Kagome's bare neck. "Kagome…"

"Hmm?" she hummed dreamily to her name.

"Be mine. Be mine in all but name," he whispered huskily. "Which I plan to rectify as soon as you recover."

Kagome frowned. "But I already am yours… I told Koga…"

InuYasha dipped his head, evidently embarrassed. "I didn't think you _really_ meant it. I thought ya were just sayin' it."

"I would never 'just say it'," growled Kagome. "I love you and I am yours. And," Kagome added saucily. "Since I'm going to be so nice about this and let you off with you thinking my admittance of love and pledge to you was just an act, you're going to take me back to the future."

"No fuckin' way, Kagome," he growled. "You can kick and you can scream all you want, but there ain't no way in hell you're going back."

"I need to tell my mother…," she muttered. "I was supposed to go back three days ago – don't try and tell me she won't be worried."

InuYasha sighed; if he were to tell her it would have been a blantant lie. "Alright," he caved. "I'll leave tonight to inform her; but you will not leave Kaede's hut, understood?"

Kagome nodded.

InuYasha pulled Kagome out of the water then, when her skin was all wrinkly and laden with water the way she liked it. Her warm cotton towel was modest to Kagome's body, and InuYasha was only glad it was a warm day so she wouldn't catch pneumonia. Masterly, he re-dressed the wound, noticing how the bruising of her shoulder had crept down to the top of her breasts and down her shoulder blade.

When InuYasha was finished, he clothed Kagome in a button down white singlet, of which was a light breezy fabric and pulled on a pair of tiny jean shorts, which were too tiny in his opinion, but InuYasha wasn't in the mood to argue. He was about to pull away when Kagome's good hand caught the back of his neck and she leant in to plant a soft kiss on her lover's lips.

"I'm going to be alright," she smiled softly. "You know that right?"

InuYasha nodded dumbly as Kagome began to kiss down the hanyou's neck softly, grinning as he leant in.

"And when I do fully recover," she whispered saucily. InuYasha whimpered for her to continue. "We're going to get… straight," nip, "back," suckle, "to it."

InuYasha growled lowly and caught Kagome's lips, feeling bubbling to the surface he'd so hastily suppressed when Kagome was injured. His hands longed to touch her again, and his body wanted to finish off business they could never seem to complete, but his mind reminded the hanyou that Kagome was still seriously injured, and so he just kissed her – softly, laced with passion and drenched in want. "Don't think I won't hold you to that, wench."

Then, InuYasha, all so carefully, picked Kagome up and slipped back to Kaede's hut, placing her back in the bed and telling her to sleep and pretend she hadn't been anywhere. "If anyone asks, it was Sango," he put the blame on the exterminator with a sheepish grin and moved to the bamboo door. "Shippo's coming – he'll entertain you. I'm goin' to talk to your mother."

"InuYasha," Kagome bolted up slightly, wincing, but catching the hanyou before he left.

"What?"

"I love you," she smiled sweetly and batted her lashes.

"Hm," he smiled in reply. "Same."

"And… can you get me the latest copies of "FAMOUS"? Please, Mama will have them!"

InuYasha scoffed then as the girl nestled into her mat with a smug grin. "Whatever wench," he growled, frustrated he'd turned into her little lap dog for anything she deemed would make her more comfortable. On the outside, he'd kick and argue and fuss, but on the inside, he'd admit to find anything that would please her – even if that did mean a lousy, crappy gossip magazine.

"InuYasha," Mama greeted warmly, her eyes darting around the red-clad figure for her daughter. It was hard to believe that InuYasha hadn't seen Mama Higurashi in three years; she hadn't aged a bit. "How nice it is to see you again! Kagome's not with you?"

"No," he replied sternly and walked through the house. He got a pot out of the cupboard and put on water to boil. "You'd better sit down for this…"

"She's not dead is she?" Mama's hands flew to her mouth. "Please, no."

"No," he barked in reply. '_Almost __but __not __quite__…'_

"Then what is it?" Mama didn't want the tea InuYasha had brewed for her at the moment and she watched the hanyou expentantly as he pulled out a dining chair and sat opposite her.

"Kagome's had a bit of an accident," he breathed and Mama choked back a sob. "Not anything… _serious_," he lied sightly – but it was only a white lie. "She was running and a tree branch went through her shoulder… Um, she's okay, and doesn't want you to worry."

"I want to see her," Mama grasped InuYasha's claw tightly. "She's my daughter – why can't I pass through the well, too?"

"If you could, I'd be happy to take you to her," InuYasha replied, his fingers curling around Mama's and he squeezed them softly. This seemed to calm Mama somewhat and InuYasha spoke again. "Kagome wants you to call where she works… she might be well enough to come back next week…"

"I've already called her work," Mama nodded, her free hand pulling a tissue out of the box and dabbing her watering eyes. "I was so worried. She's really okay?"

"She's going to be fine," InuYasha replied earnestly.

"Okay," Mama sniffed. "But it's only 'cause I trust you so much that I believe you."

Heh, everyone trusted him as of late.

"She must be so bored," Mama's personality was suddenly back, and swooning as ever. "You have to take her some things to get better, InuYasha."

"She keeps complainin' she's lookin' at the same roof," snorted the hanyou as Mama Higurashi fleeted up the staircase and rummaged through Kagome's room.

She grabbed a sketchbook and pencils, but InuYasha reminded that it had been her arm injured and so she couldn't draw. Mama gathered up a few books of Kagome's as favourites, an electronic brick she assured InuYasha Kagome knew how to work and a basket of sweet and savoury snacks. She cried again for a moment, and InuYasha took all the things Kagome could possibly need back: books, moisturiser, lip balm, a dozen of those dratted "FAMOUS" magazines her mother seemed to hoard before hauling it all in the shrine and dumping it into the well – it passed through and was awaiting him on the other side.

"Bring Kagome back soon," Mama leant forward and embraced the surprised hanyou. Usually, he didn't like such close affection from anyone except Kagome, even before she was his mate, but it was her mother – the woman who smelt a little like her, and who treated him as her own. InuYasha curled his arms around the woman and promised he would before jumping down the well himself.

"InuYasha!" a boy's voice called his name and haulted his descent into the well. Souta ran through the door with three cups of ramen. "You forgot these!"

Heh, the girl even made him forget about ramen for an instant. InuYasha took the cups gratefully and leapt into the well, calling his goodbyes and disappearing into the blue mist.

* * *

><p>"Here!" he threw a magazine at her, to which Kagome squealed in delight and rearranged so that the bright cover was facing her.<p>

"Thank you so much, InuYasha," cried the girl and shifted so she could begin to read the edition's cover. "Oh, this edition was a few weeks ago… Before I left for back here."

InuYasha stayed in Kaede's hut, watching Kagome read through the magazine. At some points she looked at women in dresses and blanched at a particular woman wearing a 'peacock blue chiffon monstrosity' as she'd called it and InuYasha rolled his eyes. He could live one thousand years, even in the time she lived in, and have not understood the way the woman worked more than he did now. She was completely topsy-turvy to any other woman he'd ever known. Not that he'd met many other women, mind you, yes, because his often harsh anti-social behaviour just raked in all the girls. He grinned, at least he'd managed to find one that fought with him – that was fun.

Kagome's sigh snapped him out of his reverie and suddenly his nose picked up a spike in her scent – a smell he'd noticed before.

"Kagome?" asked InuYasha warily. The girl eyed him with dark chocolate eyes.

"I want you."

InuYasha's jaw hung agape. "What about the magazine?" his claw regarded the disregarded mash of paper beside Kagome's sheets.

"Read it. Boring," she smirked and winked suggestively. "I want you."

"Can't," he remained firm and crossed his arms over his chest and leant on the hut wall. "You're hurt."

"You'll be careful," her lips danced into a saucy smile. "Come on…"

"Nope."

"InuYasha…," she whined and fell back, her hair spraying out under her face. Kagome's arousal was heavy in the air and was teasing him, urging him to crawl under the covers with her. When Kagome arched her back and moaned, beginning to put on a show, InuYasha growled.

"Where are those healing incense?" he snapped and fossicked around Kaede's hut. "I'm gonna put you out."

"… I. Want. You."

"We can't Kagome," he sighed exuberantly, never knowing it would take this much energy to stave her off and never knowing he'd actually decline sex. "One: you're still too injured; you'll just end up getting hurt again and two: if we do, you'll get so hot and messy you'll want to go for a bath, _again_."

Kagome was about to protest when Miroku, Sango and Shippo entered the hut and InuYasha couldn't have been happier to see the trio. It was dinner time, evidently, and Sango and Shippo snooped around the things InuYasha had brought home from Kagome's time for her. Kagome caught InuYasha's attention with a tug on his sleeve.

"At least stay with me tonight," she said. "We can watch a movie together."

"Movie?" he muttered, but agreed none-the-less. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept with Kagome next to him: when they were still looking for the Shikon jewel and he'd fallen asleep on her bed… There had been no room, and InuYasha had awoken to the pleasant surprise of her body in his arms the next morning. Miroku, not one to miss anything when they climbed through the well the next morning, had commented that he'd stayed at Kagome's with a suggestive nudge to the ribs.

Kaede made dinner and then brewed some camomile tea. Kagome knew now what made the tea so addicting when InuYasha sliced his finger open to lend his blood to the healing process, and downed the serum quickly. She was embarrassed to let on his blood affected her so; it only made her want him all the more. She'd heard from Sango that biting was an integral part of the mating process. Heh, once she was healed his neck would be the first place her lips would meet.

"Scram brat," InuYasha snarled and shoved Shippo's curled up body away from Kagome to nestle himself by her side.

"InuYasha!" Shippo growled and pounded his fists against the hanyou's back. "Move, I was laying there!"

"I'm sleeping next to Kagome tonight," he snapped, as if she was something they took turns in. "You get her all the time."

"Yeah," Shippo snapped. "Because she's mine!" the fox tyke ignored a growl he got from the male when he said that and continued. "She was mine first, InuYasha, you've just come in and taken over! Just to remind you, _InuYasha_, she coddled and cuddled _me_ first."

InuYasha rolled his eyes at the kit's antics and proved his point by nestling further into Kagome's good shoulder. In Kagome's hand, she had the electronic brick her mother had given her.

"Here Shippo," Kagome patted the space beside her chest on the empty floor. "You can sleep here."

The baby youkai yipped and ran over to curl up at Kagome's bosom, nuzzling the crook of her neck as her warmth lulled him to sleep. The woman had become his adoptive mother, and he'd grown accustomed to the love, warmth and care Kagome gave him when he was younger. Shippo was barely ten years old: he still had a lot of growing up to do, but he was happy to snuggle into Kagome every night, even if it meant dodging the irritable hanyou who had just taken the woman as his mate.

Sango and Miroku had wandered home, promising to visit the later tomorrow after they rested themselves; such the week had been emotional turmoil. This left Kaede's rather large hut to the four occupants: Lady Kaede herself, Kagome, InuYasha and Shippo. The lady had retired to her bed early, drained herself and InuYasha had settled to Kagome's spot on the floor, wrapping an arm around her waist and proceeded to watch a 'movie' with her.

He was surprised to find that tiny people again could fit into such a small brick. InuYasha didn't know what the movie was called, and he didn't particularly like it and nuzzled Kagome's neck as he began to droop to sleep. It was something about a woman falling in love with her dance teacher, a man who Kagome swooned over, but that was the last he heard until…

"Baby… my sweet baby," Kagome's singing and giggling woke him up with a jump. Was she singing to him? No, his eyes narrowed as the electronic brick glowed in the darkness. She was singing with the woman on the brick and Shippo was engrossed in the film.

"Go to sleep," he grumbled irritably and a claw tapped at the glowing screen, trying to find a way to turn it off.

"No InuYasha," replied Shippo from the other side of Kagome's body. The fox's tail brushed InuYasha's bare arm lightly. "We're watching this movie – it's really good."

Kagome's fingers touched the tablet and she made the time pop up. "Geez, InuYasha," she laughed. "It's only ten o'clock; you're such an old man."

"It's night," he replied gruffly. "Night means sleep. Day means awake." Although, that wasn't entirely true: he'd be willing to stay up most nights, but he wasn't ready to admit that looking after Kagome had taken more strain on his body than he'd thought. Plus, the hanyou was reminded sourly, the new moon was approaching…

"The movie's almost finished," she mumbled and touched the hanyou's arm softly, running her finger over his skin. "I'll turn it off when it's done…"

InuYasha didn't remember anything after that, only felt the small shift against his body and the glowing tablet die when finally the film finished and Kagome sighed contently into him. Shippo was an ever lingering fact that he couldn't pull her in as close and touch her the way he wanted to. Heh, what did it matter, Kagome needed her rest anyway, and frankly, so did he. Blood had been spilt, and he'd be damned if it wasn't a fucking exhausting act cleanin' it all up.

* * *

><p>With the events suddenly happening in my life, I apologise that this chapter was rather late.I'd like to mention the great people who go out of their way to review my story, they're awesome,<p>

**Kise-chan, Jezzie13, vAMPkIMI, Kyoyama Daphne , 3lue 3utterfly, LovesDepp, cheatcakes,Warm-Amber92** and **Adam**.

The final instalment of Mind Games is next & coming soon, and then this story will be officially completed! 'Dancing in the Dark' is almost completed as well, but I have a few more one-shots in the making to be completed yet. :)

If you enjoyed this chapter, please do tell me so. I love hearing from readers so write a short (or long) message when you hit '**review**'!

~ Arlia'Devi.


	6. Part Six: Time

**Mind Games**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights go to Rumiko Takahashi and associates: I make no money out of this.

~Mind Games~

by Arlia'Devi

**Part Six: Time**

**InuYasha ****and ****Kagome ****sat ****atop ****the ****sacred ****tree.** It was InuYasha's favourite position in the village to relax, and Kagome could see why. Although her balance wasn't as good as InuYasha's and so the hanyou, who was lazily leaning against the thick truck with the woman between his legs, kept an arm around her waist in case she did topple. Atop the sacred tree, Kagome could see half the village – the clearing in which was the Bone Eater's well, Kaede's hut, and people toiling in the rice fields. What was more, on a rather hot day such as today, a cool breeze tickled the leaves and brushed against her bare legs. The hanyou behind her had opened his haori and undershirt, shrugging it to his elbows and Kagome wore a delicate white dress, tied at the back and gathered by black silk strings. It was adorned with watercolour-like patterns of exotic flowers and buds. InuYasha hummed behind her.

"Hm?" Kagome turned to InuYasha, although not looking at him directly, merely acknowledging his hum.

"You don't wanna get down?" he asked. "I thought it'd be too high…"

Kagome laughed. "I've scaled hundreds of cliffs with you, InuYasha, crossed rickety bridges with rivers one thousand metres below and fallen from the tops of waterfalls… I think I can handle the sacred tree."

InuYasha grinned and suddenly his foot hit the branch they were sitting on – and hard, making a sickening snapping sound and that part of the tree quiver. The hairs on the back of Kagome's neck stood on end and she hit the hanyou, who was chuckling in spite of the woman. "Gettin' big headed are we, Kagome?"

"No," she replied whimsically. "Merely stating a fact."

It had been three weeks since Koga's attack, and the wound on Kagome's shoulder was healing nicely. A week ago she'd done without the covering of any sorts, deciding to let the air get at it and heal it naturally. When her mother had seen the claw-shaped brown scabs, she'd teared up and embraced her little girl. Luckily, Mama only knew of Kagome tripping and falling – luckily at that point the claw marks, Kagome supposed, could have past for tree branches raking across her skin.

Koga hadn't been seen since, although InuYasha said he sometimes got whiffs of the mangy wolf's scent – the low promise of a gutted, slaughtering demise for harming another demon's mate was enough reason to stay away. Koga would have seen enough of fights erupting over mates in his pack among the years, and they were only lesser, weaker wolf demons.

When the brown scabs began to fall off, Kagome was pleased to see creamy flesh underneath – no trace of a scar where the claws had tore her. She'd shown InuYasha had he'd been pleased.

Two weeks of being confined to the feudal era had been a struggle – that was of course, until InuYasha began doing regular 'future' visits for things to keep her entertained, and of course, his body nuzzled into her back during the spring nights, which could turn as cold to as hot in a matter of a day.

Kagome had lost her job. To this, InuYasha replied, "Feh, whatever – not like it was important or nothin'". Kaede explained, when this earned InuYasha quite a few 'sits', that it may have been different in 'ye time, but here, males are the main breadwinners – young InuYasha is insulted ye have to work when he has ample funds to look after ye comfortably."

Kagome looked up to InuYasha, who was crossing his arms by the doorway and refusing to look at her. It was obvious there was still some communication needed. "Is this true, InuYasha?"

The man merely 'humped' and sighed. "Yeah whatever, it don't matter – things are different in the future, Kaede," he seethed hotly. "I ain't gotta do nothin' for her."

"I appreciate it, InuYasha," blurted out the woman even before the words had been filtered through her brain. Oops, too late now. "That you're so concerned about me."

"I ain't _concerned_," growled the hanyou.

"But you're insulted," Kagome pressed on. InuYasha's eyes flashed towards Kaede, as if giving her a cold, deathly glare 'thanks for spilling it' kind of look. InuYasha said nothing in reply.

"I never wanted to insult you, InuYasha," Kagome muttered and Kaede took purchase to slip out of the hut now. As much as she liked spying on the group, she realised the time and place – such delicate matters were for the couple to discuss. Later, she would get back to the spying and chuckling, when the banter was less serious and loving.

InuYasha folded his arms across his chest. "It doesn't matter," he sighed. "I ain't askin' ya to choose between your two worlds."

"Of course you can't ask that of me, InuYasha," replied Kagome. "I've already decided – who cares about a job, a career; my life is here with you." The boy jumped suddenly.

"You've made your decision?" he asked on a shaky breath. "Just like that?"

Kagome rolled her russet eyes. "Of course not – I knew much before, even before I fell in love with you: I stopped caring about my schooling, I was much better with a bow anyhow." InuYasha scoffed an objection, but Kagome continued nonetheless. "True, my family is in the future, but we can visit them – my life is here, in the past. And if you're insulted because I have to work to support myself, then don't worry," a devilish smirk crossed the woman's lips then. "Because now that you've mentioned it, I sure wouldn't mind some pampering… Your treat?"

The hanyou growled and Kagome laughed. "I'm all yours too look after – make sure you do a good job."

"I will," he replied quickly, the harsh tone in his voice matching the sudden smouldering of his liquid topaz eyes. He knocked the wind out of her when suddenly, Kagome was pinned on her back, hands secured on each side of her head and InuYasha was kissing her fiercely.

It was a Sunday afternoon and the sun was dipping quite low. From her position in the tree top, Kagome told her hanyou it was time for her to leave – at least, if anything, to call and explain to her boss of her absence of late. Kagome knew she'd never get her job back – there was no way to prove that she got injured by a tree, or a wolf Prince's claws: no doctor's certificate, no time in hospital. The woman grimaced; maybe she didn't even want her job back, it would be only a matter of time before she quit anyway. There was no way she could juggle the past and the future in the way she had been of late – and that was a good thing. Her life was in the past, she couldn't have it screwed up by obligations to make in the future – not again.

InuYasha released her with a whimper and a sweet, long kiss before Kagome said her soft goodbyes, squeezed his hand again before letting it go and jumping feet first into the well.

InuYasha smiled softly, before walking away.

* * *

><p>On Monday evening, Kagome sat down to a well-deserved hot meal, after having a relaxing bath and in her favourite thick, fluffy cotton pyjamas.<p>

_What __a __horrible __day_… Kagome sighed as she tucked into her mother's great cooking. Mama watched her daughter with sympathy – what a day it had been indeed!

Kagome had risen early from sleep, which was nice if not a little unsettled. She'd gotten dressed, done her hair up nicely and gone down to her office to apologise for her absences.

Kagome's civil apology had turned into a little more – a receptionist telling her disrespectful she had been to Mr. Wallace and his company, finding out she'd caused backlogs in the system which would take weeks to fill through because of her 'unexpected vacation'. Mr. Wallace wasn't impressed to say the least and proceeded to tell her that if she hadn't assumed already, that she was fired. All in all, Kagome left the office in tears, jumping on the bus and riding straight home. Well, straight home after stopping at WacDonalds and ordering an ice-cream with extra chocolate sprinkles.

"It's not your fault, sis," comforted Souta. "Mr. Wallace was lucky to have you."

"I know," sighed Kagome and went for seconds at her dinner. "It's not exactly what they said, it was how they said it – cold and as if I had ruined their lives."

"They are clerical workers and it's fashion," scoffed Mama. "Some tend to get a little over-reactive, besides, dear, when have you started worrying about what people think about you?"

"That's not my Kagome," nodded Gramps and gave his granddaughter an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"I 'spose you guys are right," sighed Kagome and put her dishes by the sink. "I'm gonna go and have a rest for a while."

Mama nodded and Kagome slunk up the stairs, shoulders hunched and hair drooping over her face. The girl proceeded to collapse on her bed, exhausted and frankly, still a little upset. No one talked to Kagome Higurashi that way, and soon the despair was boiling into anger. Kagome growled and began to pace. How dare the receptionist snap at her like that – she wasn't the one that got absolutely slashed by Koga's claws, not was she stuck between a horrible love triangle between InuYasha and said wolf prince. If the receptionist was, heh, Kagome would have loved to see that.

Eventually, at around ten, Kagome had calmed down enough and was plonked back on her bed flicking through old photo albums of her future friends and herself. Sometimes, InuYasha popped up and she smiled, touching the picture of him in the days they searched for the sacred jewel together. The picture was rather early in their expedition – Shippou was probably somewhere in the background, in fact, Kagome thought she saw his fluffy tail. There was still a deep sense of affection, Kagome realised, within herself towards the hanyou – to be honest, it didn't surprise her when deep in her mind, Kagome realised she'd fallen in love with him as soon as she'd seen him pinned on that tree. His hair, silver and flowing, those ears, and those piercing, sometimes smouldering liquid gold eyes, that when his desire fired, Kagome couldn't help the weakening in her knees.

There was a picture of Sango and Miroku next – one Kagome took when their trek was nearing an end and she wanted to desperately cling onto her friends in the past. Miroku was smiling cheeky and Sango was beside him, hands clasped in her lap and was grinning an awkward smile as she wasn't used to 'posing' for the 'camera'. Kirara was on the demon slayer's shoulder.

"Kagome!" her mother called and poked her head around the doorframe. "We're all going to bed now – make sure you get some sleep."

"Okay Mum, night."

"Goodnight dear."

Over the page was Shippou and Kirara, two of the closest friends, side by side by a fire. The photograph underneath was Kagome and Shippou sleeping in her sleeping bag in a room, probably a manor Miroku had scammed at one point or another. InuYasha had been fiddling with her camera – his claw was coming across the lens. It wasn't a good look for Kagome – her face puffy and drool coming out of her mouth. She turned the page.

Her window slid open.

"Hey," greeted the silver haired hanyou as he entered Kagome's room.

"Hi InuYasha," Kagome said with her a little sadder than she'd anticipated.

InuYasha sniffed the air and seemed dissatisfied. "What's that smell – you been cryin' Kagome?"

"Yeah," muttered the girl sheepishly, wiping her cheek with a fluffy sleeve. InuYasha plonked himself on the other end of Kagome's pink bed – the mattress bounced under his weight. "I went to work today to explain why I hadn't been in for a while and they yelled at me." Kagome sniffled. "The boss was furious and the receptionists gave me death looks because I'd clogged up the work. I know, I know it's stupid but –"

"You want me to go down there and cut 'em up for ya, Kagome?" InuYasha asked, padding across the bed softly as to not rip her pink sheets. "Give 'em a taste of it?" He flexed his claws menacingly. "It's been a while since I used Blades of Blood, you know."

Kagome laughed and InuYasha managed a smile. Softly he pressed his lips to Kagome's cheek. "I ain't worried – I got plenty of dough for ya, Kagome."

Kagome smiled and touched InuYasha's claw softly. "What are you doin' here, anyway?"

"Nothin' to do in the past," he growled softly against her skin, his hot lips still pressing butterfly kisses against her cheek and jaw. "Besides, I wanted to see you…"

"Did you m-miss me?" it was getting harder to breath, InuYasha's kisses were beginning to get harder – almost frantic in action as his lips ran down Kagome's cheek and jawline, dipping down to suckle with an open mouth on Kagome's neck.

Suddenly, the woman was under him, one of his claws on each side of the pink pillow on which her head sat and the hanyou grinning wickedly at her. "Yeah." He pressed his lips against her lips. "I did." One hand hitched up Kagome's pyjama top and the woman hissed when his hot skin pressed against her hip, delving under the waistband of her shorts. The hanyou growled as if it was a question, raising an eyebrow and hooking his claws under the band of Kagome's pyjama shorts. "Hm?"

"H-Here?" Kagome choked. "With my mother in the next room?"

InuYasha grinned and kissed her, nibbling on her bottom lip and shimmying the pyjama pants down Kagome's legs. Suddenly, the little blue shorts were thrown across the room, falling in a heap on the floor.

"How naughty can you _really_ get Kagome?" teased InuYasha, echoing her words in the forest clearing that seemed so many years ago. Suddenly recalling events on that night, at least the positive ones, seemed to reignite something deep inside her – carnal need for her to-be mate, the same desire to have him at that very moment like on that night. InuYasha noticed the shift in her smell, she was suddenly very turned on and this idea was strengthened with suddenly Kagome smashed her lips into his.

The idea that her mother, brother and grandfather were all sleeping under the same roof was quickly thrown out the window. She needed InuYasha, she needed him now – and she was going to have him tonight and no one, not some villager, not some demon would stop her from taking what was rightfully hers.

His clothes were thrown on the floor in haste, both torn at by her hands and his own. Soon following was Kagome's t-shirt and basic bra, between heated clashes of lips, tongue and teeth, moans and sighs and gasps, echoing each other's names in hurried pants.

InuYasha, who was more aware of his aroused state since the removal of his hakama, kissed a trail of hot, needy kisses down Kagome's stomach. When he smelt how much she wanted him knew he needed to take her right then and there or he'd truly die.

Kagome's lacy panties weren't appreciated as they were absolutely obliterated by eager claws. InuYasha kept a little more patience for his own fundoshi; not particularly wanting to go commando until he could purchase another. Suddenly Kagome's hand was down there, touching him as he unravelled the underclothes and dropped the fundoshi to the floor.

"Yes," she moaned softly and her hand buried into her hair. InuYasha didn't even have to ask. "Yes," she repeated, guiding him with hitched hips. "Please."

"You'll be my mate," he growled softly as he came to rest at her entrance. But when he felt her against him, her softness and warmth, InuYasha couldn't help but whimper and cradle his woman's head in his hands.

"I love you… Kagome," he moaned softly as she rolled her hips softly against him. It was such sweet pleasure and so beautiful to see him in such a way – so engulfed in the love she was showing him.

Kagome held InuYasha's trembling body to her, her arms wrapping around his nude sweating back and the other at the base of his skull. "Take me," she whimpered softly. "I love you too, now please…"

When InuYasha slipped into her smooth, wet, warm and _tight_ entrance, his breath caught in his throat. Kagome moved with him, urging her lover deeper until he broke the barrier that marked her as no other man. He broke it gently, only eliciting a small whimper from the woman under him.

For a moment, InuYasha hitched himself on his elbows, intent on appreciating the position he and Kagome were in now that she was technically his mate. They were connected, hip-to-hip, stomach-to stomach, her legs were intertwined around his hitched at his hips. One claw was weaved into her hand, InuYasha's claws fitting into the spaces of Kagome's fingers. Their noses touched, each face being fanned by hot, laboured breaths. When InuYasha, by instinct and urge to bring about more pleasure, began to rock, Kagome moaned and arched her back.

The panting of each other's names soon became hitched, throated groans of unbelievable pleasure accompanied by an even more unquenched desire for more. He rode her softly at first, until tension built like a coil in the pit of his stomach and in response, began to find a rhythm with his woman's own thrusts – a satisfying, intensive beat of a drum, sparks of pleasure eliciting with every strike.

Kagome begged for more and held onto her lover as her body took a mind of its own, suddenly knowing what to do to achieve full pleasure. It was like an ancient dance their minds had always known how to do, although they'd both never had another. Kagome whimpered when suddenly it wasn't enough – her body needed more. "Faster," she panted and couldn't help but realise how alienated and distant her voice was clouded in a building pleasure. "Please… o-oh, faster, god, harder!"

InuYasha snarled and did as his mate asked. He'd been going easy on her being her first time and all, but hell, if she wanted it harder, he'd give it to her fucking harder. And so the hanyou proceeded to pound the hell out of his woman, and when she called his name out in what she told him was absolute _fucking_ ecstasy, he picked up the pace further until Kagome was practically screaming in his arms. Her legs tightened around his waist, the hand that wasn't linked with his raked nail marks across his shoulder and she called out his name as she teetered insanely close to plunging into complete oblivion.

"O-Oh god," whimpered Kagome when her entire body began to shake. Everything seeped into black and she held onto InuYasha's convulsing body if only to prepare her for unexpected feelings.

InuYasha grunted as she suddenly became tight, her reactions urging him closer to his own release. Kagome was crying out as she was coming to her peak, her hands grasping on anything she could – his hair, his back, his shoulders, and her mouth hung open in a soundless scream. Everything fell away then, including InuYasha.

In the end, Kagome only knew she felt such supreme, unrivalled pleasure and knew her hanyou lover had shared the moment with her. He'd cursed and groaned and then finally released, his sweat-soaked body sliding over Kagome's erotically and her centre wet and tight and … "oh _god_…"

InuYasha slumped beside her, withdrawing and turned his head to the woman beside him. Kagome was staring at the ceiling, a hand pressed to her heaving sweating chest and her legs still splayed open in exhaustion. InuYasha kissed her brow softly; wiping away sweat soaked strands of raven hair and smiled softly.

"Good?"

Kagome scoffed. "Great."

InuYasha rolled and gathered up sheets which had been a little torn and drenched in sweat and other fluids before placing them over their bodies. Kagome curled into the hanyou's heaving chest, still slick and tried to fight the incredible amount of exhaustion she felt. InuYasha's claw smoothed over her hair softly.

"Go to sleep, Kagome…" he growled lowly and Kagome knew it was more of a command than a request. He pressed his lips to her temple. "You're tired, you should sleep."

"No," she protested weakly. "I… I want to stay with you."

A soft purr rumbled from InuYasha's throat and he nuzzled his now mate softly, gathering her trembling, clammy and completely spent body in his hands. "Demon stamina – you'll have to catch up," he teased lightly. "It was fantastic, Kagome. You're tired, get some sleep – I ain't goin' no where, wench."

Kagome smiled lazily and pressed her lips against InuYasha's for one final sloppy, lethargic goodnight kiss before the woman fell into a deep slumber. InuYasha followed soon, yawning against his mate's hair and knowing their stamina would improve in future couplings. She was his mate now, officially – other demons would smell it, _Koga_ would smell it.

Heh, so what if it'd taken four years to get to this point - it couldn't be helped. They'd gone through so fucking much: the sacred jewel, Naraku, the whole revival of Kikyo and then the blockage of the well for three years. InuYasha sighed but staved off drowsiness for a moment longer if only to stare at Kagome for longer: the short, sharp yet calming breaths that were being sucked in through supple parted lips, her thick lashes against flushed cheeks and her body, sweaty and clammy yet warm and soft pressed against his. InuYasha sighed contently and nuzzled his nose into the back of Kagome's neck, feeling her sweaty hair brush against his face.

She was his. A mate.

Finally then, sleep came.

**Exeunt.**

* * *

><p><strong>Mind<strong>**Games** is officially completed. I must apologise for such the lateness of this upload, life gets in the way sometimes and honestly, I did lose a bit of motivation for a moment. But it's completed and uploaded and I would like to thank the readers and importantly, the reviewers, who are stellar people like…

**timsgirlashley , Seashell, CaelumHanyou, Captain Raye , cheatcakes , Warm-Amber92 , Adam, cristine44 , 3lue 3utterfly ,** and** LovesDepp**.

I hope you check out a few more of my fics on my profile. I still have one or two more one-shots up my sleeve I hope, also I have began a Spirited Away fic "**The ****Path ****of ****Water**" and just finished "**Dancing in the Dark**" another InuYasha/Kagome fic. Hopefully, "**Resucitiation**" another InuYasha/Kagome fic should be up soon as well.

Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and I know you did!) and the overall story. For the last time, please hit '**review**!"

**~Arlia'Devi**


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